An Unexpected Twist
by Gemini14
Summary: When another black sheep comes to London in search of something worth living for, will he be able to find it? And what kind of secrets does he have hidden within him?
1. A Man With A Traitors Name

An Unexpected Twist

Chapter One: The Man With A Traitor's Name

Mary-Weather was very lost. She had somehow gotten separated from her elder brother and his manservant and was now wandering around London, trying to find her way back.

"_Cain's not going to let me go outside for at least a year for this! The fact that he's going to be upset with me is an understatement!_" Mary-Weather mused, sourly, as she tried to remain as small and unobtrusive as possible. Earl Cain Hargreaves, her elder brother, was known throughout aristocracy as the 'Earl who Courts Death'. But what many people didn't know, was that there was an assassin organization after him, and those around him.

"_I hope I don't run into any of them_..._Especially that creepy doctor._" Mary-Weather thought, as irritation quickly turned into uneasiness. It was starting to get dark, and many of the people around her were in a hurry to get home.

"Well, well. What have we here?" a man's voice purred, as Mary-Weather's worst fear made himself known to her. And this was just as the streets cleared of people, leaving them alone as they faced one another.

"S-stay away from me..." Mary-Weather stammered, fearfully, as she backed away from the man that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere; having materialized before her like a nightmare. He sneered when he saw the girl's fear, and advanced on her another step. Almost instantly, something embedded itself into the cobblestones at Disraeli's feet with the sound of metal hitting stone, and both looked down to see that it was a knife that had come between them.

"Stay back, unless you want one of those between your eyes, blondie." a male voice growled, as the man that owned it emerged from the mists into the now-abandoned street. Mary-Weather had to force herself not to cry out when the young man's features became clearer to her; he was about average height, with pale skin and wild dark hair. Yet the most distinctive parts about him were his eyes. They were a unique mix of green and gold that Mary-Weather had only ever seen in her elder brother's eyes.

"_Cain?_" Mary-Weather wondered, in amazement and some hope. Had her brother found her? Or was it just some weird coincidence that this fellow could have passed himself off as Cain's twin?

"I must admit, Cain, that even for you, this reaction to the girl's disappearance was quick." Disraeli sneered; seeming to be surprised when the youth across from him smirked back.

"And I have to say, that I'd have never imagined the infamous 'Jack the Ripper' to be lower than a schoolyard bully." the young man retorted, fingering another knife as he made his way to Mary-Weather's side. With a wordless gesture, Mary-Weather got behind him; but not before hugging her benefactor's waist as a quick thanks for her rescue. The stranger with her brother's eyes gave her a brief smile, then got back to the matter at hand.

"So, what's your choice? Back off and leave the girl alone? Or persist and end up with knives sticking out of you like so many porcupine quills?" the man asked; his manner seeming calm and even joking, but his eyes hinting that Disraeli was treading on thin ice, at best. Disraeli only gave them a disarming smile, before wordlessly melting into the fog again.

"Th-thank you, for saving my life, sir." Mary-Weather said, gratefully, as the teen before her replaced his knives into a sheath at his belt, and then bent to retrieve the one he'd thrown.

"Think nothing of it, Miss. It was the least I could do." the teen said, amiably; his manner quite a contrast to her elder brother's usually brooding mood.

"Oh! I feel so rude! I haven't even introduced myself yet! My name is Mary-Weather Hargreaves!" Mary-Weather said, after a momentary silence. The stranger gave her a warm smile, then faced her and bowed a ridiculously low bow.

"Pleasure to meet you, Miss Hargreaves! My name is Judas. Judas I. Hargers, at your service!" the teen said, then added, "But you can call me 'Jude' for short."

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Mr. Hargers! But what are you doing here, in London? Aren't you an American?" Mary-Weather asked, as she and Judas started to walk away from the scene of the confrontation; trustingly (and a little bit shyly) putting her hand in his before they got started.

"Indeed, I am, but I jumped ship before the drafting could get to my part of town and came here. Y'see, I'd heard from my grandparents that there's an English branch to my family here, and that they're fairly high up on the old aristocratic 'tree', so to speak." Judas replied, his high spirits not dampened in the slightest by the girl's question.

"I wonder if you're somehow related to us? You look exactly like my elder brother, Cain." Mary-Weather murmured, then silently added, "_Except when you smile. I have never really seen Cain smile wholeheartedly like this. And you seem so carefree!_"

"Hmm...That would explain why I was called 'Cain' back there." Judas said, thoughtfully, then added, "I just hope your brother doesn't take my head off or something if he finds us before I can get you to the police station. He might get the wrong idea."

"Cain isn't like that...In fact, he's very level-headed." Mary-Weather encouraged. Judas laughed softly at that; the action bringing an almost mischievous sparkle to his oddly colored eyes.

"Sounds like we could be exact opposites, then. I know of people back home who would say the opposite thing of me. I've got a quick temper, and I jump into things without nary a thought, sometimes." Judas admitted, as they got even closer to Scotland Yard.

"But it was your quick actions that saved my life tonight!" Mary-Weather protested, as they entered the brightly lit waiting area inside Scotland Yard. The police constable looked up at them as they approached the front desk; and his features brightened when he saw Mary-Weather.

"It seems Earl Hargreaves will be able to rest easy tonight, since his sister has been found. Where was she?" the constable asked, sounding as relieved as he looked.

"Almost in the port, sir." Judas replied; not adding the fact that she'd been accosted and almost kidnapped (or worse) that night.

"Good Lord! That is definitely not the place for a young girl! I'm glad you happened by and helped her find her way here, young man." the constable said, with a weary smile.

"Same here." Judas murmured, looking down and smiling slightly when Mary-Weather let loose a yawn.

"I'll go ahead and see if we can get the message to the Earl that his sister has been found. He should still be in the area." the constable said, as he turned to one of the police sergeants and nodded; sending the man running out the door into the fogbound night.

"Well, Miss Mary-Weather, what say you to finding a place to sit and wait?" Judas asked, kindly; knowing that the ten-year-old, despite her maturity, was getting sleepy. Mary-Weather nodded, and allowed him to lead her to one of the benches that sat along the far wall of the Yard. When they had taken a seat a little ways from the door (so the draft wouldn't bother them too much) Mary-Weather drowsily put her head on Judas' lap, and promptly went to sleep.

"_Poor kid. She was more worn out than she looked!_" Judas thought, as he removed his coat and draped it over her in an effort to keep her warm.

"Look at that. You'd think she's known you for years, the way she has her head on your lap." the constable said, softly, so he wouldn't wake the slumbering girl. Judas only smiled a vague, almost sad smile.

"I know...and she kinda reminds me of someone I'd left behind...Someone I couldn't save." Judas murmured, the latter part of his response going unheard by the other man, since it had almost been whispered to himself.

"_But I swear_..._If I get the opportunity to protect someone again_..._I will not let them die. That's a promise._" Judas silently vowed, watching as the little girl smiled in her sleep, and feeling a warmth emerge in his chest that he hadn't thought he would ever feel again. And it was in that brief moment that he knew he wanted to protect the girl that was curled up beside him, most of all.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Cain was fit to be tied. Riff could tell just by looking at the young Earl's eyes. They were more green than gold, now; hinting at how upset he truly was, even though he carried himself with an air of calm.

"_The 'calm before the storm' it seems. He's going to tighten Miss Mary-Weather's leash quite a bit after tonight._" Riff thought, his expression almost deadpanning when he thought of the 'fireworks display' that was about to explode in his face.

"_I daresay that even Guy Fawkes' plot would have paled in comparison to what is about to happen._" Riff mused, looking to his right when a policeman rushed up to them; his honest face showing relief.

"Well? Has my sister been found?" Cain asked, shortly.

"Indeed she has, sir. She's at the Yard now, safe and sound." the policeman replied, breathlessly.

"I wish to see for myself if that is true." Cain said, as he gave the man the go-ahead to lead them back to Scotland Yard.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Judas shivered slightly when a cold breeze blew in from the door; glancing briefly at Mary-Weather to make sure she was still comfortable under his coat. It had been several hours since they had arrived at Scotland Yard, and he'd been about ready to doze off himself.

"_Too many nights without sleep, I suppose._" Judas mused, looking up when three men entered.

"All right, Constable. Where is my sister?" one man asked, a little impatiently (but not so much so to make him seem impatient).

"Over here, and sound asleep, I might add." Judas said, speaking before the constable could even open his mouth. They all turned to look at him, then, and one's jaw even dropped when he saw Judas' gold-green eyes.

"Where had she been when you found her?" one asked, coolly; his own strangely-colored eyes heavily laced with suspicion and distrust.

"The docks. A rather unsettling fellow had almost accosted her there. I'm only glad I was in the right place at the right time." Judas replied, noticing when his comment about Disraeli caused all the color to leave the young Englishman's face.

"Indeed...What do you call yourself?" the man asked, shakily.

"Judas I. Hargers. 'Jude' for short. And you?" Judas asked, as he gently picked up the still-slumbering Mary-Weather, and handed her to the other man that stood close at hand.

"Earl Cain Hargreaves. And this is Riff, my manservant. What brought you to England?" the young man asked.

"Draft-dodging, mainly. I also had some family I wanted to get away from back in the 'States." Judas responded; noticing when an understanding glint appeared in Cain's eyes.

"I know only too well what you mean...Do you have any place to stay, while you are here?" Cain asked, quietly.

"Not really." Judas replied.

"Then I will have Riff prepare a room for you when we return to the manor. Is this agreeable to you?" Cain questioned; smiling inwardly when Judas gave him a disbelieving look.

"Uh...Yes...I suppose so...Are you sure about this?" Judas asked, amazed that the young earl would do such a thing for him, a total stranger.

"Quite. You did, after all, rescue my sister...and have made yourself a target of my father's dark society, while doing so. The least I can do is offer you a safe place to stay." Cain replied, quietly, secretly pleased when Judas gave him an abashed smile, removed his hat, and then bowed politely.

"Thanks for your hospitality Earl Hargreaves. I'll see to it that this Judas can live up to somebody's trust!" Judas said, as he straightened, and grinned at Cain again.

"_Amazing how someone can overcome the stigma a name can have! I wish I had his strength!_" Cain mused, as he ushered for both Riff and Judas to follow him back to the car; his mind filled to the brim with questions for the young man who looked so eerily similar to him.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Author's Note!

This is my first attempt at a 'Godchild' fanfiction! Be kind in the reviews, please!

Gemini14


	2. Dark Memories

Chapter Two: Dark Memories

_The singing of a lash through the air. The sudden, slicing pain upon impact with skin. A cruel voice, taunting him as the beating continued. His own voice screaming at the tormentor to stop. Going unheeded, and only having the 'chastisement' get worse_...

"_This is a ritual to cleanse you of your sins. Accept it!" the cold voice almost crooned, as the whip sang through the air again and again; drawing blood with each strike._

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Cain sighed as Riff carefully drove along the dark roads. It had taken quite some time for them to reach the edge of the estate, and both Mary-Weather and Judas were sound asleep.

"_It must not have been a very restful voyage for him, considering he'd practically run away from home to come here._" Cain mused, as he watched the other young man's face closely; becoming minutely concerned when a hint of fear and pain emerged there.

"N-no...stop...Why?...What've I done...?Why're you doin' this to me...?" Judas whimpered, shuddering a little bit as he slept, completely trapped in the nightmare he was having.

"Mr. Hargers, are you all right?" Cain asked, as he reached over and grasped Judas' right shoulder in an attempt to wake him. Abruptly, Judas woke from sleep; fearful disorientation giving way to relief, when he saw that he wasn't where he'd thought he'd been.

"S-sorry for falling asleep like that, Earl Hargreaves. I guess I was a little more tired than I'd thought." Judas shakily said, as he struggled to get his racing heart back into its' usual rhythm.

"It's quite all right. No harm done...though it looked as though you were having a bit of a nightmare, just now." Cain stated, trying to reassure the other teen with those words, and also trying to find out why he was so distressed at the same time. Judas breathed a shaky sigh.

"Just dreaming about the life I'd left behind...a life I was only too happy to let go of." Judas replied, with a shudder. Cain nodded in understanding. His own life had been a nightmare as well, before Riff and Mary-Weather had come along.

"I see...Well, we're back at the manor house now." Cain stated, as he motioned out the window at the large, imposing structure that awaited them just beyond the gate. Judas turned to the window of the vehicle, and actually gaped at the building in awe.

"Wow...I never would have imagined that I would be coming to a place like this. It's huge!" Judas muttered, then added, "And a little spooky-lookin'." Cain suppressed the urge to sigh.

"A lot of first-time visitors here often say the same thing...But it's been in my family for generations." Cain murmured, as he also gazed at the imposing sight; remembering when it had brought some very different emotions to him... and forcing those dark memories to the very back of his mind before the other teen could sense that something was bothering him.

"Sure looks that way..." Judas murmured, as he reluctantly peeled his gaze away from the window. Within moments, they were at the front door of the manor; Riff was already stepping down from behind the wheel, and Cain motioned for Judas to carefully pick up the sleeping girl and follow him out. With a nod, Judas silently did as he was told; barely suppressing a hiss as he bent down to clear his head of the roof of the vehicle.

"Are you all right, Mr. Hargers?" Riff asked, his quiet voice startling Judas for a moment.

"Yeah...I'm okay. My back just hurts a little from too many nights of sleeping on a hard floor, that's all." Judas replied, not missing the somewhat skeptical look the manservant gave him as he carried Mary-Weather into the brightly-lit house.

"Judas, if you wish to bathe before you go to sleep tonight, Riff will supply you with some linens and fresh clothes. I must warn you, though, that we're going to be heading out early tomorrow morning, since I had received a summons from the Cromwell family earlier today." Cain stated, watching with some silent amusement as the American's eyebrows rose.

"You want to take me along? Won't that cause some people to faint?" Judas asked, now feeling as skeptical as Riff had looked just moments ago.

"Why would your appearance cause people to faint, Judas?" Cain questioned; curious about how this young man thought of himself.

"Well...that's how some of the ladies in my hometown reacted when they saw me. Guess it was because of my eyes, I don't know..." Judas muttered, a vaguely uncomfortable expression appearing on his face as he remembered part of the reason he'd run away from home in the first place. Cain could only smirk at this; he had his ideas as to why the women had fainted in Judas' presence...and it wasn't just because of his eyes.

"I see...I'll show you to your room. Follow me." Cain murmured, as he started leading the way to where the guest rooms were; sharing a knowing glance with Riff before they went their separate ways (Riff now carried the slumbering Mary-Weather in his arms, hence the reason he wasn't leading Judas to his new room). When they finally arrived there, Cain handed Judas a key, and gave him a stern look.

"This room will be yours' from here on out. My room is just down the hall. Try not to go outside at night while you are staying here." Cain said, with dire warning in his voice as he spoke. Judas nodded, in understanding.

"I'll remember that. But you're going to have to explain to me what it was that made that freak go after Mary earlier. I'd prefer to know who or what I'm up against." Judas replied, as he fingered one of his throwing knives, thoughtfully. Cain's eyes widened minutely in reaction to seeing the weapons, but allowed a world-weary smile to cross his face, nonetheless.

"I will tell you as much as I can, later. Although there isn't much information I can impart to you, aside from the fact that my father's organization is trying to make my life a living hell." Cain stated, quietly.

"Any information is helpful, in this situation...Since I'm practically coming into this fight blind." Judas murmured, as Riff rejoined them with clothes and towels in hand.

"Miss Mary-Weather is now being attended to by the maids. She's still sound asleep, sir." Riff reported, as Cain allowed himself a look of relief.

"The fact that she can rest easy after an encounter like that helps to put my mind at ease, Riff." Cain murmured, smiling slightly when he saw that his expression was mirrored perfectly on Judas' face as well. Yet, he didn't miss the minute trace of pain in the other teen's eyes.

"The bath is this way, Mr. Hargers." Riff stated, as he started to lead the American in that direction.

"Thanks." Judas replied, giving Cain a slight grin and salute before he followed the manservant down the hall. Cain couldn't help but smile a little, and shake his head; Americans were still a mystery to him, and probably always would be.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Judas clenched his jaw as he stripped his dirty shirt off of his back; finding to his displeasure that it had become bonded to the flesh.

"_Damn. I thought it would've healed by now!_" Judas mused, as he glanced at the full-length mirror, and the reflection that it showed.

"_It seems that Mary-Weather was right about my resemblance to Lord Hargreaves_..._Right down to the eye color_..._Talk about an eerie coincidence!_" Judas thought, with a slight ironic smile, as he glanced down. Wrapped securely around his torso were what appeared to be bandages; linen strips that Judas could see were equally as dirty as his clothing was.

"_Hope removing these doesn't reopen the wounds_..." Judas thought, sourly, as he carefully started unwinding them; gritting his teeth when he felt a few of the scabs get pulled away.

"Good Lord!"

Judas whirled around when he heard the exclamation; noticing that Riff was now staring at his back in horror.

"Who did this to you?" Riff asked, as his blue eyes took in all the damage to the American's back...All across Judas' back, there were crisscrossed wounds; some were bleeding, while others oozed pus, hinting at a serious infection.

"This was part of the reason I ran away from home. If you would believe it...my own grandfather and my uncles did this...and my chest is in just about as rough a shape." Judas replied, as what remained of the dirtied bandages fell away, and he turned to face Riff. Riff's face paled when he saw just how extensive Judas' injuries were.

"_As loathe as I am to even think this_..._Cain may have gotten off easy, compared to this poor fellow._" Riff thought, as he approached, and started assessing the damage.

"Wait a moment, and I will bring some fresh bandages and ointment..." Riff murmured, after a few moments, before rushing off to do just that. From where he sat, on the bathtub's rim, Judas could hear when Riff gave some of the maids the order for some hot water, and when Cain's voice joined them. It didn't take long for Cain himself to appear within the bathroom; his face also paling when he saw Judas' wounds.

"I'm surprised you are even still lucid, considering what Riff had just told me. How did you stand the journey here?" Cain asked, his own gold-flecked green eyes showing honest concern and even a little horror.

"It wasn't easy, I'll say that much. Just don't tell Mary, all right?" Judas said, with a hint of shame on his youthful face. Cain sighed, and nodded.

"Agreed..." Cain murmured, knowing that the other teen's current state would upset the young girl.

"The hot water and medicine will be here in a moment, Mr. Hargers. In the meantime, you might want to bathe, and get the worst of the infection cleaned out." Riff said, taking command of the situation as he re-entered the bathroom with the clean linen strips in hand (the ones that had come from Judas' torso had already been disposed of).

"Whatever you say." Judas said, not daring to argue with the butler, at this point.

"_Smart man._" Cain mused, shooting Riff a knowing look when he sensed a bit of chagrin from him for that response.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

By the time all was said and done, it was nearing four in the morning. As gently as he could, Riff pulled the covers over the now-slumbering Judas Hargers; taking care not to touch his chest as he did so.

"How is he, Riff?" Cain asked, quietly, as he entered the room and gave Judas a vague look of concern.

"Better. Now that the infection has been dealt with, his fever has come down. As it is, it should be gone by the time we head out for the Cromwells' estate later in the morning." Riff informed, as he watched the peaceful features of the slumbering teen for a moment, then looked at Cain again.

"It really is something unexpected...that we both look so much alike, and went through the same kind of pain...yet still managed to carry himself with dignity. Somewhere within him is a strength I haven't discovered yet." Cain mused aloud, then added, "The strength to smile through the pain."

"Then, perhaps, there is something to learn from him...aside from his dark past, and the reasons he has for running from it." Riff murmured.

"Maybe..." Cain whispered, as he thoughtfully walked out of the room, and made his way down the hall; knowing that, within moments, Riff would be there to help him prepare for bed, and for the trip ahead.

_**Author's Note!**_

_**Yes, I know, not the most exciting second chapter on record, but it is an update, regardless! 'Butterfly Bones' starts up after this! Hope I can do it justice! Wish me luck!**_

_**Gemini14**_


	3. Arrival at Butterfly Mansion

Chapter Three: Arrival at 'Butterfly Mansion'

Judas stifled the urge to growl, as the carriage bumped and jolted its' way through the English countryside.

"_Someday, I hope somebody invents a way for vehicles to absorb all of the bumps in a road, that way the people riding won't have to feel it!_" Judas sourly mused, as he tried to sit normally and ignore the pain each impact brought to his injured back. Across from him, Cain Hargreaves dozed, having been lulled to sleep by the constant movement of the vehicle beneath him.

"It doesn't seem like he got much sleep last night, does it?" Mary-Weather asked, softly, as she gazed concernedly at her brother, and then Judas.

"No, it doesn't." Judas agreed, then silently added, "_And I was partly to blame for that._"

"Come to think of it, you look a little pale right now as well. Are you all right?" Mary-Weather questioned.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me." Judas replied, warmly, yet noticed when Cain's expression changed as he slept.

"_Looks like he's having a nightmare._" Judas thought, just barely hearing when Cain started to mumble something in his sleep. It was just when the snapping sound of a stone breaking under one of the wheels came to their ears that Cain's eyes shot open for a moment, and his face went sheet white.

"Cain?" Judas asked, as he carefully reached out and grasped the lower part of his left arm. At first, Cain didn't react to his name; one hand went to his mouth, and the other snaked its' way over his shoulder to his back.

"Cain." Judas said, again, as Cain looked hazily at him, "Are you all right?" _What's wrong?_

"I..." Cain choked, shuddering a little bit as he forced himself to hold whatever was in his stomach down.

"What's wrong, Cain? A nightmare?" Mary-Weather added, when the other young man's eyes slowly focused, and he gazed blearily at them.

"I-it's nothing, Mary-Weather, Judas...just motion sickness." Cain murmured, as he struggled to get his racing heart under control, and his breathing to resume a normal rhythm.

"You do indeed look ill." Judas stated, honestly, when he saw how pale Cain looked at this point, then silently added, "_Like hell it's nothing. Something's bothering you._" Cain only gave him a slight smirk, before straightening a little in his seat, and breathing a shaky sigh. He knew that Judas could sense that he was lying through his teeth...but he wasn't going to pry.

"I wonder where we are right now?" Mary-Weather asked, wisely trying to get away from the subject, and bringing their attention to their surroundings.

"We should be able to see the manor house soon." Cain replied, then added, "This entire forest belongs to the Cromwell estate. The Hargreaves and the Cromwells are distantly related, but something in the past caused us to become estranged. It is good that we have accepted the invitation and gotten away from London for a while."

"Did something happen in London before I arrived, Cain?" Judas asked, getting a nod from the young earl as a response.

"I'll tell you of it later." Cain promised, inwardly snickering when Judas gave him a an almost deadpan glance. He didn't believe him in the slightest.

"_I feel I can rely on Judas to help protect Mary from my father. With his skill with those knives of his, he'll make a formidable opponent for anyone daring to try harming her._" Cain thought, as the manor house came into view.

"This place looks even more haunted than your home did, Cain." Judas muttered. Cain actually chuckled softly at this; allowing a slight grin to cross his pale features when Mary-Weather said basically the same thing.

"In England, ghosts in old houses and castles are status symbols." Cain said, getting a somewhat disbelieving look from the American for that.

"In America, if somebody says that their house is haunted, they first go looking for a mental institution for that person, and then a medium or priest." Judas muttered, then silently added, "_But I'll have to admit, this place does indeed __look__ as though it has a few spooks in its' halls._" Before anything more could be said, however, the carriage suddenly screeched to a halt, nearly throwing Mary-Weather and Judas to the floor from the force of the sudden stop.

"What happened?" Cain asked, as he opened the door and looked up at the driver.

"S-sorry sir." the driver stammered, before continuing, "Something flew out in front of the carriage! I thought for a moment that is was a large red butterfly! I managed to stop just in time, so I didn't run it over!"

"A butterfly?" Cain asked, confusedly, getting a nod from the driver, as Judas got out and carefully approached the 'thing'.

"Cain! It's a person! Hey, are you all right, miss?" Judas questioned, as he kneeled down and reached out to what appeared to be a young woman. They all jumped back when she looked up at them...She had a dead bird in her mouth!

"Sh-she's possessed! It's the Japanese girl from Lord Cromwell's mansion!" the driver yelped, as the girl got back to her feet with a scream, and rushed towards the trio; her eyes wild and unseeing.

"Lukia!" Cain shouted, just as someone snapped his fingers, and the girl lost consciousness, falling back into a man's arms as she did so.

"If you know this girl, then, like me, you are also a guest of the Cromwell family." the man stated, coolly, as he carefully picked up the now-slumbering girl.

"Who...?" Cain started to ask, but was interrupted by the man as he abruptly turned to walk away.

"Excuse me. I'll see you all again later." the stranger said, as he carried Lukia back in the direction of the manor; leaving more questions than answers.

"_Okay_..._What the heck was THAT about?_" Judas wondered, as he exchanged a somewhat uneasy glance with Cain; the man had approached them so soundlessly, that even Judas hadn't noticed him until he was right there!

"Old acquaintance of yours?" Judas asked.

"No. I've never seen him around before." Cain replied, quietly, as they re-entered the carriage, and continued on their way towards the house itself. When they had gotten there, Mary-Weather marveled at the number of butterflies that were lingering in the gardens and flowerbeds.

"Cain! Judas! Look at all those butterflies! Is this why they call it the 'Butterfly Mansion'?" Mary-Weather asked, giggling when several of the brightly-colored insects landed on Judas.

"Probably." Cain replied, smirking when a particularly large butterfly landed on Judas' nose, and as the American scowled at it.

"Better watch it, bug. My knives eat things like you for breakfast!" Judas grumbled, as he brushed the insects off of him, and noticed when Cain glanced up at one of the buildings.

"See something?" Judas asked, wary now, when he saw the disgruntled look on the earl's face.

"There was someone watching us from that window up there." Cain said, speaking softly so he wouldn't alarm his sister.

"Hmm...And it looks like we're still being watched...Guess we'll soon see just how expected your company really is, once we get inside." Judas murmured, fingering his knives to reassure himself, as they made their way to the front door.

"I suppose so." Cain agreed; beginning to wonder just what sort of strange situation they were about to walk into.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

"Cain! I hardly recognize you! It's been at least ten years since I last saw you! Oh, and this must be Mary-Weather, whom I had heard so much about! How lovely she is!" Lord Cromwell said, looking and sounding pleased to see Cain after such a long interval.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lord Cromwell." Mary-Weather said, politely, as she curtsied as well, getting a pleasant laugh from the man.

"Call me Uncle Leonard, Mary." Lord Cromwell said, warmly. Then he turned his attention to Judas.

"My word! This fellow looks exactly like you, Cain! Where did he come from?" Lord Cromwell asked, smiling when a chagrined expression crossed Judas' features.

"This is Judas Hargers, and he is from the United States." Cain said, introducing the American to his uncle, and explaining where he came from in one felled swoop.

"Pleasure to meet you, sir." Judas stated, with a polite nod. Yet, before any more pleasantries could be exchanged, a loud slap echoed down the stairs.

"What do you mean Lukia is not in her room?.! Why did you let her leave, Walken?.!" an enraged female voice shouted.

"P-please forgive me..." the butler almost sobbed, as he staggered up from where he'd been knocked down on the steps.

"_That __had__ to hurt_..." Judas thought, counting his blessings that he wasn't married to the woman that had slapped the hapless butler, nor was he the butler that had been slapped.

"No disrespectful thoughts, Judas." Cain hissed, getting a slight grin from the American as a response.

"Wouldn't dream of it..." Judas muttered.

"Then why do you have your fingers crossed behind your back?" Cain questioned, dryly.

"Oh, no reason." Judas lied, chuckling as Cain sighed and shook his head.

"We have guests?" the woman asked, when she'd finally noticed that Lord Cromwell wasn't alone in the entrance hall. Mary-Weather shuddered as the woman's icy gaze landed on her, and even the two young men had to suppress the desire to do the same thing.

"You three, this is my second wife Abigail." Lord Cromwell introduced, then added, "These are our distant relatives, Earl Cain Hargreaves and Mary-Weather, and their guest, Judas Hargers."

"Y-you're the head of the Hargreaves' noble clan?.!" Abigail asked, aghast that she'd done such a thing in front of Cain.

"Pleased to meet you." Cain quietly stated, with a calm smile.

"Likewise." Judas agreed, trying his best to remain polite.

"Y-you had to come at a time like this...Uh, I mean...Welcome to our home." Abigail greeted, nervously; earning her some confused looks from the trio as they stood there.

"_She's hiding something._" was the thought that crossed both Cain's and Judas' minds, as they watched the mystery man enter, carrying the sleeping Lukia in his arms.

"Oh, my! Lukia!" Lord Cromwell yelped.

"She's merely asleep. I saw her in front of the house just now, so..." the man explained, quietly.

"We've been expecting you, Mr. Crehador." Abigail said, as she smiled a smile that sent chills down Judas' spine. As the man climbed the stairs with Lukia in his arms, Cain turned the name over in his mind, trying to figure out where he had heard it before.

"Lukia is...beginning to look more and more like your late wife." Cain commented.

"Yes. She is..." Lord Cromwell replied, thoughtfully.

"But...since when has she been like that?" Cain questioned, before something fell with a crash in front of them. Without a moment's hesitation, Judas unsheathed two of his knives, and got in front of both Cain and Mary-Weather; determined to protect them no matter what (much to the very evident surprise of Lord Cromwell).

"It's an evil spirit! Lukia is possessed by an evil spirit!" a boyish voice shouted, as the owner of it landed on a pedestal where a vase would normally be displayed; his face obscured by an old cloth bag that had some eyeholes cut into it.

"Foolish intruders! Leave this cursed place or...?.!" the boy shouted, before Cain grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, pulled his makeshift mask off, and actually got the rope around his neck.

"Stop behaving like that." Cain growled, then softly added, "Do you want me to make you into a spirit?"

"You're one to talk! Let me go!" the boy yelped, and as Judas snickered at his expense.

"_Oh, the trouble I could have caused, if I'd had the imagination like this kid!_" Judas mused, ruefully, as he picked up what had been thrown in front of them (a baby doll, that had part of its' plaster head knocked out, and a small axe imbedded in its' belly, with the word 'Kill' painted in red on the stomach) and watched as Abigail embarrassedly tried to salvage the situation.

"Please, excuse my son's rudeness! He's Lukia's stepbrother. Emile, apologize to Lord Cain, Mary-Weather, and Mr. Hargers...!" Abigail as she pinched the boy's shoulders in an effort to get him to obey. With noticeable reluctance, Emile seemed to calm down, and held out a hand to Mary-Weather.

"Sorry." Emile grumbled.

"Um...It...it's okay." Mary-Weather said, her eyes widening and she screamed a little bit when he unfolded his hand a little more, and almost released a spider onto her palm.

"Ha ha! Gotcha!" Emile sneered, before racing out of the house. Judas stepped back a bit when Mary-Weather actually growled, and then took off after the ornery boy.

"Wait, you little brat! You don't know who you're dealing with! I grew up in the slums, I'll have you know!" Mary-Weather shouted, furiously.

"She's quite a strong young lady, Cain..." Lord Cromwell murmured, as taken aback by Emile's behavior as his wife was.

"I'll say." Judas agreed, wholeheartedly.

"Yes, well...Your son must be fearless to make her mad." Cain stated, with a proud smile. But the question still remained; just what were the Cromwells trying to hide? And what did it have to do with Lukia's strange behavior?

_**Author's Note!**_

_**Yet another unexciting chapter. But I guess I have to build up to the action, ne? Stay tuned!**_

_**Gemini14**_


	4. Of Darkness and Death

Chapter Four: Of Darkness and Death

Thunder rumbled overhead, as afternoon segued into evening. Yet, as the hours passed, Judas began to feel uneasy.

"_What Lord Cromwell had said earlier doesn't make sense_..._The pieces don't quite fit. He didn't send the letter that Cain had received, nor does the other possible sender, Madame Sophie, want to speak with us. Just what exactly is going on?_" Judas wondered, as they were shown into one of the guest rooms; smiling slightly when Mary-Weather's childish enthusiasm returned to the forefront.

"Cain, Judas! Look! I can see the fountain from here!" Mary-Weather chirped, as she pointed out the landmark to them.

"So I see, Mary. It's a good view." Judas murmured, a bit distractedly, as he listened to the manservant tell Cain that he was leaving their baggage there, and that their rooms were connected...then closed and locked the door behind him.

"Cain...I think they locked us in...Why?" Mary-Weather asked, as she gave the two teens a quizzical look. Cain allowed himself almost a snort of contempt at the action on the Cromwell family's part, and shook his head.

"Who knows?" Cain muttered, finally; exchanging an almost mischievous glance with Judas as he said that. He received a grin from the American as an answer; Judas shared his enthusiasm for sneaking out, completely.

"It doesn't seem to bother you two very much." Mary-Weather said, watching with some surprise as Cain started expertly picking the door's lock.

"Okay, now be a good girl and go to sleep." Cain ordered, his devilish cheerfulness getting an exasperated 'Cain!' from the ten-year-old girl.

"Otherwise, Miss Mary, he won't tell you the mystery of this mansion you're dying to know about." Judas added, with his usual easygoing smile, before they both ducked out of the room, and started sneaking down the hall. Neither of them heard it when Mary-Weather muttered a disappointed-sounding 'Fine', and something about Cain 'hitting his stride'.

"It's almost as quiet as death in this house...no pun intended, of course." Judas whispered, as they traversed the silent halls.

"Indeed it is." Cain agreed; stopping in his tracks when he heard voices, and motioning for Judas to duck out of sight before they could be seen.

"I've longed to see you. You never come around anymore. Look! I finally got it! And with this, tonight we can finally get rid of that annoying woman's possessed daughter, Lukia!" a cold, feminine voice purred, as Abigail Cromwell and the mysterious 'Crehador' paused in the hallway. Cain's eyes widened when he saw what Abigail had in her hand (while Judas did his best not to gag at the sight of the sinister pair kissing).

"_Poison?.!_" Cain mentally yelped, as he watched them break contact, then smile at one another.

"So, shall we go? Everything has been prepared, Abigail." Crehador murmured, as he led her away.

"I wonder what's going to happen here tonight?" Judas whispered, voicing Cain's unspoken question exactly.

"Just what I would like to know. Come on. We need to follow them." Cain replied, as he started leading the way.

"You sure Mary will be all right? I thought you'd brought me along to protect her?" Judas asked, suddenly remembering the one little detail Cain had made him forget.

"Your wounds are still healing, Judas. It would be too much of a strain to ask that of you right now...And it would be presumptuous of me to do so. As it is, London was too dangerous a locale to leave you and Mary alone there...even with Riff still being there." Cain stated, his honest words (and the concern behind them) reaching the American's heart with no difficulty.

"I understand...and I thank you. It's good to know that Mary has such an honorable brother...I only wish I could have been as lucky." Judas murmured, sadly; before they both lapsed into silence.

"_I know only too well what you mean._" Cain thought, knowing that he could relate to the other young man's previous situation exactly. It was when they'd reached the doors of the high-domed sitting room, and peered into it, that some questions were answered.

"Are they holding...a seance?" Judas murmured, uneasily, as he and Cain beheld those gathering within.

"_It certainly looks that way_..." Cain mused, listening when Crehador began to speak.

"Thank you all for waiting. Let us begin the seance." Crehador began, then added, as he turned to the unconscious, seated figure of Lukia, "Lukia, I, Dominic Crehador...Will drive out the evil spirits that possess your soul." As Cain and Judas watched, the Cromwells gathered around a small, round table, as Crehador explained the rules.

"I've heard the name 'Crehador' before, somewhere..." Cain whispered, as he tried to remember where he'd heard it.

"It sounded familiar to me too...for some reason..." Judas agreed, jumping slightly when the loud crash of thunder echoed throughout the house.

"Judas, take a good look out the window...Tell me I'm not seeing things..." Cain muttered, as he pointed out one of the windows to the American.

"Butterflies?" Judas asked, confusedly.

"But they're not like the ones we saw when we arrived here earlier...These are red!" Cain stated, sounding as surprised as Judas now looked.

"Creepy..." Judas mumbled.

"It's not safe to walk around by yourselves at night, sirs." a voice stated, getting surprised yells from both teens.

"What the bleedin' hell are you tryin' to do? Give the both of us heart attacks or somethin'?.!" Judas shouted, panting heavily and gripping his chest as he did so.

"My apologies." the butler muttered, half-heartedly, then added, "But you really shouldn't have been wandering around here."

"Well, I suppose there is no helping it, now. Let's go in." Cain stated, as he led the way into the sitting room. Reluctantly, Judas and the butler followed.

"Hello Uncle Leonard...I knew there was something strange going on." Cain said, as he approached Lord Cromwell with his usual casual grace.

"Cain!" Lord Cromwell yelped, surprised to see the two teens.

"I know I really have no right to say something in this matter, sir, but did you try to keep this a secret from Cain because seances are forbidden among Christians?" Judas asked, having calmed down considerably in those few moments it took to enter the room.

"It seems so. And now I know where I've heard the name 'Crehador' before, too." Cain murmured, then turned and addressed Crehador himself, "You're the famous medium who calls upon spirits and who has taken European aristocracy by storm. Who'd have guessed you would come to England?" With a slight, almost defeated smirk, Crehador sighed and nodded.

"It seems useless to hide anything from him! Yes, this is a forbidden seance." Crehador conceded, as a look of alarm crossed Lord Cromwell's face.

"Well...I guess it's too late now. Please keep this a secret Cain, Mr. Hargers." Lord Cromwell said, shakily.

"We'll do what we can, sir." Judas replied; falling silent when Lord Cromwell began explaining what it was that had prompted him to call a medium like Crehador to the house. He told them of Abigail's uneasiness with the ghosts, and the botched seance that had changed Lukia's personality.

"_Sometimes people dabble in things that are well enough left alone_..." Judas thought, sourly, as he gave the senseless Lukia a sympathetic look; suppressing the urge to scowl at Abigail for her foolishness, and her evil heart.

"A powerful spirit in this house has possessed this girl. So we must conduct another seance to drive it out...and tonight is the perfect time to do it." Crehador stated, calmly.

"You two mustn't try to stop it, since I'm going to catch that spirit for sure tonight." Emile said, as he looked eagerly up at Judas and Cain. For the briefest of moments, Judas felt the corners of his mouth rise in a slight smirk.

"Whatever you say. Just don't get yourself staked in the process, okay?" Judas asked, as he gave the boy a conspiratorial look and a wink. If it were possible, Emile's grin (even with the fake fangs) got even wider. Finally there was an adult that understood him!

"Well then, let's begin the seance. Otherwise, we'll have to wait till the next opportunity arises." Crehador said, as he called the Cromwells to the center of the room.

"Very well..." Lord Cromwell murmured in agreement.

"Please allow Judas and me to participate as well." Cain said, getting yelps from Lord Cromwell and Judas for that.

"I'd like to see just how good this guy really is." Cain continued; ignoring Judas when he gave him an unreadable look.

"If I get possessed by some nutcase ghost, I'm going to have you undo it yourself, Cain." Judas muttered, moodily. Cain only snickered.

"Don't worry. I'm sure there's nothing to it." Cain replied; getting only a deadpan look for his efforts.

"Crehador...you will save Lukia tonight!" Lord Cromwell commanded, getting a nod from the medium in answer to the order.

"Of course. After all, I'm responsible for her condition." Crehador answered, smoothly, before turning to the sheet-draped table that stood in the middle of the room and saying, "A magically warded three-legged table and...this time I brought the real thing, instead of a crystal ball." Judas could almost sense the revulsion in the group, and especially in Abigail, when the thing beneath the sheet was revealed. There, on the table, sat a human skull.

"This is the skull of a priest who had committed suicide. Judging from the crack on the forehead, he must have jumped off of a tall building...Let us begin. Whatever you do, don't make any loud noises or let go of each other's hands...Otherwise, I can't be responsible for what might happen..." Crehador warned, cryptically. Cain felt it when Emile tried to pull away from his hand when he reached for it, and gave the boy a discerning look.

"What? You don't want to hold my hand?" Cain asked; knowing that something seemed odd about the boy.

"Better do it, kiddo. Otherwise, you'll be possessed next!" Judas whispered, from Cain's right-hand side; the grin he now showed Emile proving that he didn't quite believe what was about to happen, and making light of it while he was at it. Emile smirked back, giving Cain almost a snort of contempt before reaching for his hand.

"Whatever!" Emile muttered, as Cain gave Judas a curious look. How had he known how to handle the ornery younger boy?

"_Another part of his past, I suppose_..._For now, though, I must wonder_..._Is this guy the real thing? Or is he a charlatan?_" Cain wondered, as he returned his attention to the here and now.

"Spirit within, come out of this girl's body and show yourself!" Crehador commanded, no sooner saying that when the unbelievable began to happen. The table beneath their hands began to shake violently, and one of the windows high above them suddenly cracked.

"Just like last time! The table shook and the furniture in the room started moving...!" Lord Cromwell whispered, as Abigail tried to quiet him.

"_We are in over our heads, this time_..." Judas mused, as he nervously glanced at the ghostly phenomena that were happening around him. All attention turned to Lukia, then, as she began to moan softly.

"Here it comes...Who are you? Why did you possess this girl?" Crehador asked, as he approached her.

"_Bird_..._The bird_..._Please_..._silence the bird that torments me_..._That voice in the night that tortures me! Telling me_..._that it hates me_..._and to leave this world_..." Lukia whispered, despondently.

"Answer me. Are you Lord Cromwell's dead wife, Tohko?" Crehador again asked, fully aware of the shocked looks he was getting from the Cromwells, Cain, and Judas.

"_I_..._was in such agony_..._I did what that voice told me to do and disappeared_..._Yes_..._I became a butterfly. I became a butterfly and flew out the window_..._and as a butterfly, I returned to this house_..." Lukia said, her voice slowly changing into that of another woman...a voice that Abigail Cromwell appeared to know only too well.

"Cain...there's more of those red butterflies flying around out there!" Judas whispered, urgently.

"I know...I see them..." Cain replied; listening as Lady Tohko's voice continued to speak through her daughter.

"_This is __my__ house_..." Tohko's voice said, firmly and angrily, as Abigail began to tremble as violently as the table had been, just moments before.

"_Why is that woman with the bird's voice here? The woman who turned me into a bright red butterfly_..._That was_..._you_..." Lukia hissed, as she pointed an accusing finger at Abigail.

"N-no! This is ridiculous! I'm not doing this anymore!" Abigail shouted, as she struggled to break free from the circle.

"Abigail?.! Don't let go of my hand! The moment you let go, the evil spirit will be set free!" Lord Cromwell cried, before a dazzling flash of lightning struck, and they were all knocked to the ground by an incredible unseen force...

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

"...ain! Cain! Are you all right?" Judas' voice asked, when Cain found himself rousing up on the floor.

"...I will be...as soon as the room stops spinning...Ow..." Cain muttered, as Judas released a sigh of relief and helped him get to his feet.

"What just happened?" Cain asked, as he leaned on Judas' shoulder; shaking his head to clear it of the fog that had taken up residence there.

"Apparently the house has been struck by lightning." Judas replied, turning when one door flew open, and Mary-Weather rushed in.

"Cain! Judas! Are you okay?" Mary-Weather asked, worriedly, as she hugged each in turn.

"We're fine, Mary. No need to worry." Judas said, gently, as Cain held her close to comfort her.

"Good. I'm glad." Mary-Weather murmured, relieved that her brother and the American were both safe.

"_But what happened to the spirit?_" Judas wondered, as he watched Cain then go to Lukia's side and try to wake her.

"Lukia! Wake up, Lukia." Cain gently called, as the girl before him slowly roused up, opened her eyes, and looked confusedly at him.

"Y-you're..." Lukia began to say, before Cain spoke again.

"Lukia! You've regained your senses!" Cain said, as honest relief colored his features.

"Hai...Are you the son of the Earl who I met when I was little?" Lukia asked, getting a nod as an affirmation from Cain for that. Then she turned her attention to Judas.

"Cain, did you find a twin brother? He looks just like you!" Lukia said, voicing her surprise at this turn of events.

"A few people have already thought that much, Miss Cromwell." Judas stated, with an easygoing smile; not insulted in the slightest.

"Emile! Are you all right?.!" Mary-Weather asked, as she ran over to him, next. The boy was just beginning to get back up; wobbling slightly as he reached for the table to brace himself.

"Don't touch me! I told you to leave, didn't I?.!" Emile snapped, when the girl had knelt down to try and help him up, and jerked his arm away from her as he did so.

"What's your problem? Who cares about you, anyway?.!" Mary-Weather shouted, angrily, before Lord Cromwell's voice brought all of them back to silence.

"Abigail!" Lord Cromwell cried, as he looked down upon the crumpled form of his wife. She lay curled on her side on the floor; her mouth agape in a silent scream, and her fingers clawing at an unseen assailant. Across from her, and nestled in the soft folds of her petticoats, was the priest's skull. As the full gravity of this settled over them, Judas could only think of the one thought he'd had before the seance...

"_This was one thing that __should__ have been left alone!_" Judas thought, grimly, as he stood at Cain's side; gripping his throwing knives nervously as he did so.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

_**Author's Note!**_

_**So sorry about the long wait between chapters, but this one was particularly difficult to write! Hope it was worth it!**_

_**Gemini14**_


	5. Of Sin and Redemption

Chapter Five: Of Sin and Redemption

Judas sighed as he waited in the corridor for Cain. Morning had finally come to the Cromwell estate, and with it a feeling of unshakable dread.

"You look worn thin, Judas." Cain said, as he emerged from the room and gave the American a concerned look. He looked pale, and his gold-green eyes were a little dull, as well; all thanks to the previous night.

"Well, with all that had happened last night, it was nearly impossible to get any sleep." Judas replied, tiredly. Cain merely nodded; sleep had been extremely elusive for him as well.

"I'm going to go and visit Lukia. Want to come along?" Cain asked.

"Lead the way, you know I'll follow." Judas replied, as he did just that. When they'd arrived at the bedroom, and had gained entry, Cain greeted the girl that had just woken up.

"Good morning, Lukia. Did you sleep well?" Cain asked, as he stood alongside the bed and gazed calmly at her. Lukia quietly nodded.

"Surprisingly enough, yes. Though I still can't quite believe it...A spirit possessed me, and my stepmother is dead...I wonder...Could my mother's ghost have killed my stepmother?" Lukia mused aloud, her dark eyes thoughtful as she spoke.

"There's really no way of knowing." Judas murmured, his gaze strangely distant as he said that. At this, Cain paused. Even though he hadn't known Judas all that long, he found the expression that was now on his face rather odd. A look of bitterness had taken up residence there; could something similar have happened to him?

"_Yet another thing I am going to have to ask him later_..." Cain mused, then returned to the matter at hand.

"Is that what you believe, Lukia? When you confronted Abigail last night, you said 'It was your voice that tormented me' and 'That's why I became a butterfly'...Could your mother have committed suicide?" Cain questioned. For a few moments, the girl before him did what she could to gather her thoughts, then she answered him.

"Yes. I saw my mother become a 'butterfly' that day. She was a giant flower blooming in the sky that flickered and danced as it fell...Then I realized that it was my mother who had jumped from the hospital window." Lukia replied, noticing when Judas shuddered at the thought of it.

"How horrible..." Judas murmured; with honest remorse in his voice.

"My mother, who'd been shunned by my father's family and society for being Japanese...was hospitalized when she became mentally ill. Could she...have become a ghost because of her bitterness towards Abigail, Father's second wife?" Lukia said, speaking her thoughts aloud to the two young men beside her.

"Did she take the form of a red butterfly to kill my stepmother?"

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

"Judas, are you sure you're all right? It seems that conversation just now upset you, somehow." Cain said, when he and Judas had taken their leave of Lukia to go and take a walk outside.

"Just reminded too much of my own past by this, that's all...Both of my parents were murdered...and I don't have any doubts on who did it." Judas replied, then added, "But I don't have a single shred of proof."

"And that's what bothers you about this case?" Cain asked. Judas nodded, somberly.

"Have you found any new leads, Lord Cain?" Crehador's voice asked; prompting the two teens into looking up. The 'medium' stood watching them on a balcony, his cloak draped loosely over his shirtless back, and a bird perched delicately on one hand.

"Apparently, Lord Cromwell plans to hire his own investigators." Cain replied, not really wanting to talk to the shifty man that stood above him. Crehador allowed himself a snort of contempt.

"At this rate, he'll be hiring a wizard next." Crehador muttered; his distaste for aristocracy very easily seen. It was then that Cain turned and gave him a very slight smirk.

"Maybe, instead of a ghost, the killer is a cheap charlatan who uses piano wires to call on poltergeists." Cain stated, as he held the thin, hairlike wire in his left hand.

"Interesting..." Crehador murmured, seeming impressed by Cain's deduction, "I see...You're telling me I'm a phony."

"This piano wire was stuck on the chandelier directly above the table where you conducted the seance. Isn't that what caused the poltergeist effect?" Cain asked, as he approached the almost ground-level balcony, with Judas close behind him.

"Come to think of it...as long as you know of an impending storm, you could plan on having a seance the day it hits. I'm sure there's never been a seance so full of lies like this one had been." Judas murmured, his eyes beginning to regain some of the light they had held before the tragedy the previous night.

"And yet, because you relied so heavily on theatrics, the unexpected lightning strike forced you to leave some evidence...Isn't that right? It was you who created all the commotion about Lukia being possessed. I must admit, she has grown into such a beautiful woman. I feel irresistibly drawn to her eyes...I can definitely see why Uncle Leonard married Lady Tohko, and why he sees her in Lukia. Yet, she was possessed by a ghost...or was she? Perhaps you hypnotized her...and, during the seance, you killed Abigail and broke Lukia's hypnosis. Was it all phony?" Cain questioned, nearly leaping out of his skin when Crehador chuckled, and then in a lightning-fast move, reached forward and grabbed the startled Earl's face.

"Hey!" Judas shouted, as he whipped out two of his knives and lunged at the 'medium'; only to have him release Cain just as quickly, and grab him instead. The moment Crehador's fingers touched Judas' face, his mind was assaulted by the worst of his memories.

"_This is a ritual to cleanse you of your sins. Accept it!" a cruel voice croons, as a cat-of-nine-tails tears into Judas' flesh._

"_Jude! Run!" his mother cries, before a gunshot silences her forever._

"_Judas_..._The name of the betrayer of Christ. What a suitable name for you!" another voice laughs, amidst the grief-stricken wails of the boy before him._

"_Jude, no matter what happens, you must remain strong. Don't let them break you, my son." a gentle, masculine voice whispers, before death silences him as well._

Judas uttered a cry as he backed away from Crehador; his face pale and his gold-green eyes wide.

"_By God_..._He __saw__! He knows what happened!_" Judas thought, shuddering as he backed away.

"Judas...are you all right...?" Cain asked, shakily.

"Wh-what the hell'd he just do?" Judas whispered; his horror very easily seen.

"Theatrics can only ever be theatrics. The truth is hard to see, so I make it easier for people to see it." Crehador explained, patiently, then added, "Oh, I'm sorry to be dressed like this in front of you, Lord Cain. Please continue with your detective games."

"If you are the 'real thing' then your tricks are pretty shabby. Why don't you go apprentice as a magician?" Cain snapped, trying to get back some of his own before he turned and walked away. Judas lingered for a few moments more, and gave Crehador a look that was fit to kill.

"If you even so much as try something like that again, I'll see to it that every single knife I own ends up somewhere in that vile skull of yours'. Make no mistake." Judas growled, before he also departed from the scene.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

As the morning segued into afternoon, Judas found himself wandering through the house alone; his mind in turmoil over what he'd been forced to remember.

"_I haven't thought about __that__ night in a long time_..._Why did he have to dredge those memories up?_" Judas wondered, before his attention shifted to some voices that were just coming to his ears.

"_Emile and Lukia?_" he wondered, as he approached the door, and listened in on the conversation.

"Lukia, aren't you glad Mother died? Now she won't be mean to you anymore. She always bragged that she was Father's first love...until the 'actress' Tohko stole him from her. You used to cry when she called you the daughter of a thief! I think she gave birth to me to get back at Father." Emile's voice stated, coldly.

"Emile!" Lukia's soft voice said; her shock and horror at his words easily sensed.

"That's why you hated Mother, right Lukia? Aren't you happy that Mother's dead?" Emile asked, only to be answered by a scream from Lukia, and her turning and running away from him. Not waiting another moment, Judas opened the door; gasping when Lukia barreled into him and sending pain lancing through his chest.

"Ow...What's the rush, Miss Cromwell?" Judas gasped, as he steadied her and gazed calmly into her dark eyes.

"Oh! I-I'm sorry...I didn't mean to...excuse me!" Lukia stammered, before she turned and rushed away from him.

"Pretty things are so fragile...always..." Emile muttered, as Judas slowly entered the room. Judas' eyes widened when he saw the scars on Emile's hand, and forced his own injured body to move quickly to the boy's side before he could slice the skin open again.

"Stop, kid! These scars...Do you do this to yourself?.!" Judas asked, horrified by the angry-looking red scars on the boy's hand.

"Let go!" Emile demanded, trying to wrench his hand away from Judas, but finding that the older boy was a bit stronger than he appeared.

"No. I'm not going to let you do this. Even though I really have no say in what goes on here, I must say this...Do you have someone you can trust? Someone to save you?" Judas asked, his voice calm and quiet. Emile tensed, then looked up at him with wide eyes.

"What do you mean?" Emile in turn asked; his distrust beginning to fall away, ever so slowly.

"There must be someone who can save you...You can escape this house of hate if you open your eyes and heart to that person." Judas stated, with a wisdom beyond his young years. He was a bit surprised when Emile's expression changed into one of pleading.

"Are you 'that person'?" Emile softly asked. Judas gave him a slight smile.

"It's your choice. Just let me know what your decision will be." Judas stated, as he quietly released the younger boy, then made his way out of the room.

"You must decide who is dearest to you, Emile."

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

"Poisoned?.! Abigail was poisoned?.!" Lord Cromwell shouted, in horror. The detective in front of him nodded.

"A substance called 'aconite' was found in your wife's body." the detective informed, as he read the information out to those in the room.

"It's a lethal form of wolf's bane. One or two milligrams is enough to destroy the nervous system and cause death." Cain said; looking up when Judas entered the room, and nodding to him in greeting.

"You're very...knowledgeable." the detective said, uncertainly.

"_That's because it's in my collection._" Cain mused, as Judas tiredly sat down in the chair Cain was leaning on.

"But that same aconite was found in your wife's room. It appears she'd purchased it herself." the detective added, getting back to the matter at hand.

"So...Abigail committed suicide?" Lord Cromwell asked.

"That is a possibility. We still haven't found a will but..." the detective said, only to be interrupted by the angry Leonard Cromwell.

"Ridiculous! Abigail would never do such a thing!" Lord Cromwell snapped, furiously.

"I agree..." Cain muttered, so only Judas could hear.

"Same here...to begin with, when she was with Crehador that night, it seemed she wanted to use that stuff on Miss Cromwell." Judas murmured.

"Indeed. Judas, I need to have a word with you, later." Cain said, as they watched the detective unwrap something that had a bit of evidence he had found.

"Let me know what you have in mind." Judas replied; sensing that his skills were soon going to be desperately needed.

"Thanks." Cain replied, grateful that the other teen understood what he wanted to talk to him about.

"We also found this in the fireplace of the room where the seance had taken place. It's a piece of a metal fastener with some kind of animal hide attached to it..." the detective stated, as he placed the evidence on the table to it could be easily seen by those in the room.

"There's not enough left to tell what it was...Yet I feel as though I've seen it somewhere before...Right Cain? Mr. Hargers?" Lord Cromwell asked, as he looked to the two teens for an answer. It was in that moment that something clicked inside their minds.

"_I hope it isn't what I think it is!_" Judas thought, uneasily, as he glanced at Cain. The young Earl of Hargreaves returned his gaze evenly, then nodded and motioned to the door. As they made their way down the hall a few moments later, Cain spoke his thoughts aloud to the American.

"Still not enough evidence...But, if that's the case, then everything makes sense!" Cain said.

"True. Are you going to see about Riff finding some more information?" Judas asked. Cain gave him a ghost of a smile.

"Absolutely." Cain replied, with an enigmatic smile. A smile that Judas couldn't help but shake his head at.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

At dinner that night, Judas could tell that more trouble was on the way. With a deadpan look on his face, he listened as Cain made a proposal to Lukia's father about taking her back to his estate with him.

"I want to marry Lukia." Cain said, matter-of-factly; getting a number of interesting reactions from those around the table. Judas found himself face-first in his plate from the shock, Lukia dropped her silverware and blushed furiously, and Mary-Weather almost choked on her food as she stared in wide-eyed disbelief at her brother. Even Crehador flinched in surprise!

"Do you want to make the same mistake I did?.! Your family will never allow a Japanese woman into their lives!.!" Lord Cromwell shouted.

"Of course." Cain said, appealingly.

"_Uh-oh_..._Here it comes_..." Judas thought, as he wiped his face clean with his napkin.

"She needn't officially be my wife." Cain added, smoothly.

"Are you saying you want to make my precious daughter, Tohko's only surviving child, your mistress?.! How dare you! You must have plenty of girls!" Lord Cromwell roared, enraged by Cain's audacity. Cain merely smiled again; this time enigmatically, as he stood and walked over to Lukia.

"In London, Asian women are a rarity. Especially girls this beautiful. It's worth taking her there." Cain replied; barely holding back his laughter when Judas choked on his wine and started coughing.

"_Cain has __officially__ lost his mind!_" Judas thought, as he gasped for air; feeling some surprise when Crehador actually pounded on his back slightly to help him clear his lungs.

"Then...she must mean no more to you than a exotic pet or rare gem. You are indeed a decadent aristocrat. I won't eat at the same table with you. Excuse me." Crehador said, a bit angrily, before he stood and walked away.

"A-anyway, you can't do it! I won't allow my precious daughter to be...!" Lord Cromwell growled, before Cain interrupted him.

"You don't seem to understand. This is an order from the head of the Hargreaves family." Cain said, his tone changing to that of a man of authority.

"_Bringing out the 'big guns' now, eh, Cain?_" Judas silently asked, as he exchanged glances with the Earl. He was a bit surprised when Cain gave him a wink to let him know that this was a part of his plan.

"Lukia, I will come by your room later to hear your answer. Please, consider my proposal." Cain gently said, as he kissed Lukia's hand, then walked away.

"W-wait! Cain!" Lord Cromwell snarled, as he seethed with rage.

"Mary, I think we should be going to our rooms now." Judas whispered, when he saw how angry Lord Cromwell was. With only a nod, Mary-Weather quickly followed Judas out of the dining room.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

When the night had finally claimed dominion over the estate, Cain went to Lukia's room to hear her response about his proposal.

"Have you decided, Lukia? I'm coming in." Cain said, as he entered her room through the already-open door.

"Please, look at me, Lukia. My Madame Butterfly." Cain gently called, seemingly unaware that someone was emerging from the shadows behind him.

"Don't you touch her!" a man's voice snarled, just moments before he swung at Cain's head with a heavy candlestick, and his arm was impaled by a knife.

"Judas!" Cain yelped, shocked by Lord Cromwell's actions, and Judas' quick response to them.

"You all right, Cain?" Judas asked, breathlessly.

"Yes. You were just in time, my friend." Cain heard himself say, as Judas bravely put himself between him and Leonard Cromwell.

"This family is finished! You know that Lukia is all I have! And yet you still...! You have honor and social status...but you won't take Lukia from me! She's mine!" Lord Cromwell shouted, as he held the young woman close to him, only, seconds later, to end up with a different knife in his gut. Shock and disbelief etched themselves onto both Leonard Cromwell's face, and those of Cain and Judas. Why on earth would Lukia stab her own father?.! Yet, then, as though to throw them into even greater confusion, a muffled scream came from behind one of the curtains.

"Lukia!" Cain yelped, as he rushed to her side. The girl was bound and gagged; proof enough to show that she hadn't just committed the crime they'd witnessed.

"Lukia, are you all right?.!" Cain asked, honestly concerned about her, since she'd also seen the horror play out.

"Don't worry about me. Please, help my father! Please help him!" Lukia shouted, then added, "Someone forced me to inhale some chemicals...and when I woke up..."

"I see...He switched places with you in order to attack me, but, when Uncle Leonard showed up, it threw his plans off...Isn't that right? You also killed Abigail, didn't you Emile?" Cain questioned, as the boy bolted for the door.

"Emile!" Cain shouted.

"Wait, Emile!" Judas echoed, as he raced after the boy; ignoring his body's protests as he did so.

"_Please! Let me get there in time! Please!_" Judas thought, grimacing as the pain returned full-force; slowing him down as a result.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Mary-Weather looked on in confusion when she saw Emile open a window and climb out onto the roof.

"What are you doing?.! That's dangerous!" Mary-Weather warned, concernedly.

"Stay back! It's not safe for little girls." Emile retorted, getting a raising of hackles from Mary-Weather in response.

"What?.! I used to play on rooftops all the time!" Mary-Weather snapped, as she followed him outside. No sooner had she done that, did Cain appear at the same window and call out for Emile.

"You two...come down!" Cain ordered, now very worried for their safety (especially Mary-Weather's). It didn't help his anxious heart when Emile grabbed the hapless girl by her shoulders and held her threateningly.

"If you come any closer, she just might fall." Emile growled, fiercely.

"Emile?.!" Mary-Weather yelped, fearfully.

"You knew I did it, didn't you? How?" Emile asked; backing away when Cain climbed out of the window and stood before him.

"I happen to know a little something about poisons...The poison called aconite that was used to kill Abigail...the killer stole it from her room and poisoned her with it...But because she was at the seance during the ten or twenty minutes before her death, there's no way she could have drank anything. So, how did the poison get into her body? I saw that her right hand had changed color...This poison could be absorbed through the skin...and we were told during the seance that we were under no circumstances to 'let go of one another's hands'. If the person who had held her hand had applied it to his own hand..." Cain said, turning when Lukia's voice joined in on the conversation as well.

"If that were the case, then wouldn't the killer have been poisoned too?" Lukia asked, intelligently. Her eyes widened when Cain pulled what appeared to be a handkerchief from his pocket, and showed her what lay within it.

"These are the remains of what was burned in the fireplace. Have you seen this before?" Cain asked. Lukia gasped, and slowly nodded.

"Yes..." Lukia replied, her voice almost too soft to be heard.

"The murderer wore this glove...to keep from absorbing the poison that killed Abigail. This is a portion of the zipper from the poisoned glove burned by the killer. The other glove was on his hand." Cain said, as disbelief and horror appeared on Lukia's delicate features.

"Why Emile?" Lukia whispered.

"Perhaps because of this?" Cain asked, as he held what appeared to be a comb in his other hand.

"Is that...the comb Emile stole from me when we first met? He kept that old thing?" Lukia asked, surprised by this turn of events.

"Yes. He treasured it and probably always carried it with him." Cain replied, thoughtfully.

"Stop it! Shut up!" Emile finally shouted; unnerved and a little embarrassed that this had come to light.

"_Die! You ugly woman! I wish you'd disappear!_" a feminine voice shouted, hatefully. All eyes turned towards the voice, and welcome relief appeared in Cain's and Mary-Weather's eyes. There stood Riff, with what appeared to be a birdcage in hand. Within the cage, a red parrot sat on its' perch.

"This parrot was in the bedroom of Lukia's mother, Tohko." Riff said, his voice calm as he set the parrot's cage down on a nearby table (he was still within the house, just behind Lukia).

"You're finally here, Riff!" Cain said, with obvious relief in his voice.

"A gentleman and a boy visited the institution a few months ago. That's when I think Lord Emile found out about the parrot's nightly ramblings, and how it drove Madame Tohko to commit suicide." Riff stated, as he gave the bird a cool look; hiding his dislike for the animal's words behind his calm veneer.

"This parrot's voice is identical to Abigail's." Lukia murmured; unnerved by this fact for more than one reason.

"I see. Abigail knew Tohko was already upset because society wouldn't accept a nobleman's Japanese wife, so she taught the parrot those cursed words and sent it to Tohko. This must have been what you'd meant in your trance state, Lukia." Cain said, then returned his attention to Emile.

"Did you plan this because you found out that your own mother had killed Tohko?" Cain asked, calmly.

"Y-yes..." Emile hesitantly replied.

"Who was the man with you, then?" Cain again asked.

"The man...showed me how I could kill Mother...and how to cover everything up. He also told me what happens to bad children like me." Emile softly replied, then added, "Mother and Father always treated me like I didn't exist, like it didn't matter if I was around or not. They never paid any attention to me, even when I hurt myself...I wanted to punish them for that."

"Then why did you try to kill me after I proposed to Lukia? You kept this comb because it was precious to you, didn't you?.! You killed Abigail when you found out that she had driven Lukia's mother to suicide, and was planning to kill Lukia as well, right? You wanted to protect Lukia, your beloved older sister! She was the only one who ever paid any attention to you. You wouldn't dare to admit it, but you love her so much that you'd risk your own life to protect her. Don't worry, your sister will forgive you." Cain said, with certainty. He started when he felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked in surprise to find that Judas had just arrived on the scene.

"There's always a way out, kid. Didn't I tell you? There's someone who can save you, just as someone saved me, and, I'm sure, someone did for Cain. Come here. I'll save you from this place, Emile." Judas said, as he slowly walked towards the boy, and held out his hand. With tears in his eyes, Emile also reached out, but, before he could take Judas' offer of hope, a cold voice spoke from the darkness.

"Because he reminds you of how you once were, Cain?" the masculine voice asked, from behind and above them. With a move that was too quick for anyone to see, Judas whirled around and gracefully threw one of his knives; rewarded with the satisfying 'thunk' as it sank into flesh, and a stifled curse. Cain had frozen to the spot in abject terror; his heart thundering in his ears when he'd recognized the voice.

"Cain! Wake up!" Judas shouted, before he dove after Emile; who had murmured something about not soiling Lukia, and wanting her wings to stay clean and beautiful so she could fly, and then jumped off of the roof.

"JUDAS! EMILE! NO!!!" Mary-Weather screamed, as she saw Judas disappear from sight beyond the eave.

"_No_..." Cain's mind muttered, as he rushed to the roof's edge and looked down, fearing what he would see when he did. His heart almost stopped when his eyes beheld what could only be a miracle. There was Judas, clinging with one hand to the handle of a knife he'd driven into the stonework; doggedly determined not to fall. In his free arm, an unconscious Emile was gripped firmly to his side.

"By God...I don't believe it..." Cain muttered, as Riff rushed to his side, and Mary-Weather peered over as well.

"Judas! You're alive!" Mary-Weather cried, tearfully. Judas gave her a strained smile.

"Don't know...for how much longer...though...Find some rope and pull me up! Hurry!" Judas shouted, desperately, when he felt his grip beginning to loosen.

"There should be a window just below you, Mr. Hargers! Try to kick it open!" Lukia called, helpfully.

"Okay!" Judas replied, as he tried doing just that. At first, the window didn't budge, then, with desperation settling in, Judas used the last vestiges of his strength and kicked the window open.

"Hang on, kid. We'll get you out of here, no matter what." Judas murmured into the senseless boy's ear, before swinging himself back into the house, and into Riff's waiting arms.

"You sure...know when...to be in the right place...don't you...Riff?" Judas gasped, grateful when the butler carefully laid him and Emile on the floor.

"Indeed...I wouldn't have it any other way, sir." Riff replied, in his usual calm tone.

"Good..." Judas sighed, as his own consciousness finally slipped away, and darkness surrounded him, once again.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Emile heard himself whimper, when consciousness returned to him, an untold amount of time later.

"You awake, kid?" a quiet voice asked; startling him into opening his eyes. There, sitting just beside his bed, was Judas. He looked pale and exhausted, but his smile showed his honest relief.

"W-what? How did I...?" Emile asked, in turn; remembering that he'd jumped from the roof. There was no way he could have survived the fall!

"I told you I'd rescue you, didn't I?" Judas merely asked, rhetorically; getting a shocked look from the boy before him as a response.

"You...jumped after me? Why? Why did you do that?" Emile questioned, bewildered by the American's courage.

"You should know, kid, that Americans are some of the most stubborn people on earth. I refused to stand by and watch you die like that...I made a promise, and I'm determined to keep it." Judas stated, firmly; starting somewhat when the boy launched himself at him, wrapped his arms around his neck and began to weep.

"_I'm not going to let this child die either. He and Mary are under my protection, now_..._I just hope I have the strength to guard their lives._" Judas mused, allowing a careworn smile to appear on his young features when he felt Emile's tears soak through his shirt and the bandages on his chest.

"Judas." Cain's voice called, as Cain himself appeared within the room.

"Hey, Cain. Sorry I disobeyed orders to stay in bed, but I had to make sure." Judas said, as Cain sighed and shook his head.

"You're more worrisome than Mary, sometimes." Cain murmured, as he sat down on the bed; giving Judas a searching look at he did so.

"So it seems...Is there something else bothering you, Cain?" Judas asked, as he eased Emile back onto the bed, since the boy had cried himself to sleep again.

"I hope you don't take offense, Judas...but I had Riff do some research on your background a little while ago." Cain said, quietly.

"And? What did he find?" Judas asked, a little tensely. Cain then gave him an unreadable look.

"Your last name isn't really 'Hargers', is it?" Cain asked; his question causing Judas to give him an uneasy look. Then the American shook his head.

"No, it isn't. 'Hargers' was the last name of a dear friend of mine back in the 'States. My true last name...is 'Hargreaves'." Judas murmured, guiltily.

"Hargreaves...so there was an American branch of the family!" Cain muttered, in some disbelief.

"Yes. I'm sorry for deceiving you, Mary, and Riff, but I had to. My survival depended on it." Judas said; fully expecting Cain to denounce him for this. He was surprised, therefore, when Cain placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I understand. This name we share can be a burdensome curse sometimes; but you must know that you're not alone. Not anymore. The Hargreaves estate is your home as well, now. And no one can take you from it." Cain stated, firmly. At this, Judas gave his English cousin his first smile in days.

"Thanks, Cain. It sets my heart at ease to know that I once again have a safe place to call home." Judas sighed; his relief showing freely on his young face.

"You're welcome. Just know that if you ever need to talk, I will listen." Cain said, then added, "I am, after all, a blood relation."

"True enough...And maybe I'll find the courage to tell you what had happened to me, before I came to England." Judas murmured, then silently added, "_Maybe_..."

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

_**Author's Note!**_

_**Don't worry, minna! This isn't the end of the story yet! A lot more action and mystery coming up! Stay tuned!**_

_**Gemini14**_


	6. Of Pasts and Futures

Chapter Six: Of Pasts and Futures

Jezebel Disreali looked up, as someone entered his chambers.

"What do you want? I've already given my report." Jezebel muttered, as he went about his usual business.

"Sir...The Cardmaster has returned...He's been injured, sir! He's requested only your presence!" the servant said, urgently. This got what could have been a surprised look from the long-haired doctor, had he been anyone else. His father? Injured? This he had to see!

"Take me to him." Jezebel ordered, getting a prompt nod from the servant.

"Cassain, is my medical bag ready?" Jezebel asked, at the last moment.

"It's been ready." Cassain replied, promptly.

"Then I mustn't keep him waiting." Jezebel muttered; hiding what could have been a grin under an icy mask. Within moments, he and Cassain had arrived at Alexis Hargreaves' quarters; already, they could hear the older man snarling with rage.

"_I'll wager that things didn't go as well at the Cromwell House as he'd thought._" Jezebel mused, as he knocked at the door.

"Enter." Alexis' voice growled, and Jezebel did as he was told. The sight he was met with almost froze him in place. In the large, king-sized bed before him, lay his father; blood-soaked bandages wrapped tightly around his left shoulder, and, clutched tightly in his right hand, was a familiar-looking, blood-encrusted knife.

"You look a fright, Father." Jezebel said, with false concern; deciding against asking what had happened, for the time being. The older man said nothing, and only glared at the knife he had in hand.

"_That looks like one of the knives that lad had thrown at me, not too long ago. How did Father get ahold of something like that?_" Jezebel wondered, as he started to cut away the dirtied bandages, careful not to cause any further pain, lest he arouse the older man's anger.

"Things did not go as well as I would have liked, at the Butterfly Mansion." Alexis finally said; flinching slightly when Jezebel removed the bandages from the site of the wound.

"As I can see...If I might be so bold, what exactly happened?" Jezebel questioned, as he motioned for Cassain to come closer, then whispered what he was going to need in his ear.

"Cain, it seems, has gained another ally...and this one is a bit more of a mystery. This knife is the only proof I have of the wretch's existence." Alexis growled; hissing slightly when Jezebel disinfected the wound, and started cleaning it out.

"I've also met with him...in the harbor. His likeness to Cain is uncanny. Even his eyes are the same color." Jezebel murmured; carefully watching his father's responses. To his surprise, not only did Alexis curse venomously under his breath, but also said something about 'dopplegangers' as well.

"I would think...possibly...that an inquiry to the American Hargreaves' should be in order?" Jezebel asked, looking aside when the hot water arrived, and Cassain started preparing some sutures. This earned him an almost perplexed look from his father as a response.

"Why would we need anything from the likes of them?" Alexis questioned; his distaste for the American branch very easily seen.

"It could be where that lad I had met...the one that had wounded you...could have come from." Jezebel answered, coolly, as he injected an anesthetic into his father's arm. Alexis allowed himself a slight sigh; growling as he did so.

"Do what you want, Jezebel. Just don't make any foolish moves." Alexis muttered, as the painkiller started to take effect, and his world became hazy.

"I'll try not to, Cardmaster." Jezebel replied, before drug-induced sleep removed Alexis Hargreaves from consciousness.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Emile peered excitedly out the window, as the carriage rolled through the countryside. Beside him, his new legal guardian dozed.

"Tired already, Judas?" Cain asked; smirking slightly when the American roused up enough to give him a deadpan look.

"What do you think? Emile and Mary gave me a run for my money, earlier! What, with one threatening to throw the other into the fountain and all..." Judas muttered; rolling his eyes when Mary-Weather gave him her most innocent expression, and as Emile looked warily over his shoulder at her. Cain and Judas both looked when Riff chuckled slightly and shook his head; giving Judas a rueful glance while doing so.

"Do you have something to add, Riff?" Cain questioned, with an arched eyebrow.

"Not a thing, sir." Riff replied; knowing better than to say what exactly was on his mind...Even though Judas could guess. When they finally arrived in London, and subsequently, the Hargreaves Estate, Judas knew that one adventure had finally come to a close.

"Finally. We're home." Cain muttered; voicing the relief Judas was now feeling.

"Wow...This place looks even more haunted than Butterfly Mansion did!" Emile murmured; and Judas chuckled when a slightly chagrined look crossed Cain's features.

"Not one word, Judas. Not a single word." Cain grumbled, even as Riff allowed himself a tiny snicker at his expense.

"Is this where I'll be staying from now on?" Emile asked, as he turned an inquiring gaze to the Earl. Cain nodded.

"At least until you come of age. Then, you can decide whether you want to stay or leave." Cain replied.

"My room is off limits." Mary-Weather stated, haughtily.

"Wouldn't even want to see it, much less go into it." Emile retorted, as Mary-Weather gave him a dirty look for that.

"_This conversation is going downhill fast_..." Judas thought, with a sigh, as the carriage rolled to a stop in front of the house; flinching when Emile made an abrupt exit (with the enraged Mary-Weather at his heels).

"Maybe I should have bought some more bandages..." Riff muttered, as he got out of the carriage first, and went to the door so he could call some more servants outside to get the baggage.

"It seems we might need them, before the day is out..." Cain agreed, as he also stepped out of the vehicle. He half turned when Judas put a hand on his shoulder to steady himself; keeping in mind that his 'twin' was still recovering from his injuries.

"Judas, I think it's time you told me exactly how you came by those wounds. I know you had said that your uncles and grandfather had beaten you, but you haven't said how long it had been going on before you came here." Cain murmured; speaking softly so only Judas could hear him. He saw it when Judas winced, and briefly tightened his grip on his shoulder, yet he still nodded.

"You're entitled to know, Cain...I just hope that what I tell you won't change your opinion of me." Judas replied, with a slight sigh.

"It won't. And you'll only have to tell Riff and me, since we're the only ones who saw your wounds." Cain reassured; hiding a look of chagrin when Mary-Weather chased Emile into the house (much to the maids' dismay).

"Hope they don't break anything while they're at it." Judas muttered, as identical deadpan expressions appeared on his and Cain's faces.

"Judas, that is as forlorn a hope if ever there was one." Cain grumbled; the both of them flinching when something fell with the crash of shattering glass.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

When night had finally fallen, and both Emile and Mary-Weather were in bed asleep, Judas nervously faced the head of the Hargreaves family and his most trusted servant.

"I was born near Boston, Massachusetts to Thomas and Lucrecia Hargreaves. Even though my parents were brother and sister, they were closer than any pair of siblings ever could be. It was said that, before I was born, people would mistake them for husband and wife; since they loved one another so deeply. When I was born, understandably it caused quite a stir...so much so that they had to run away from home so they wouldn't immediately be killed by my grandfather." Judas explained, his hands and voice shaking as he did so. He looked up when Riff offered him a glass of brandy to calm his nerves; gratefully accepting it and taking a long sip.

"How long were your parents on the run, Judas?" Cain asked, as he leaned forward in his chair and gazed calmly at him.

"About seven years. It was when they finally stopped running that my uncles caught up with them...They were shot in cold blood, Cain...Murdered by their own kin! All I could do was watch...For ten years afterward, I cursed myself for my lack of strength...and every night of those long years, I had my chest and back torn open by a cat-of-nine-tails. It wasn't until recently that I tasted true freedom for the first time..." Judas said, as tears flowed down his cheeks; his anguish and anger at those who had killed his parents and abused him very easily felt.

"But who treated your wounds before you came here? From what I was able to tell, whoever had done it had to have had some medical training." Riff murmured; remembering what he'd noticed when tending to Judas' back and chest the first time.

"That close friend I had mentioned to Cain was the one who had seen to my injuries. The first time he ever saw me, I was covered in blood; a sight that so angered him that he almost went after my grandfather and uncles himself. It took a lot of convincing to keep him from doing that...but without him, I wouldn't have survived." Judas said, sadly, then added, "Though I can only wonder if he's even still alive, now. They may have already killed him, too."

"What is your friend's name? Maybe there is some way we can make contact with him...Let him know that you had made it to England." Cain suggested.

"I couldn't ask that of you...Besides, it might be too dangerous for him, if he is still alive." Judas replied, grimly.

"Then at least tell us his name." Cain said, patiently.

"Josiah Hargers." Judas answered. "A man who was as much like an elder brother to me, as Riff is to you, Cain."

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider

As the weeks slowly passed, Cain began to notice that Judas was returning to being his usual cheerful self. The smile that had reassured Mary-Weather the night they had met had come back to his handsome face. There was even an element of mischief in him now that hadn't been there before.

"_I'll have to make sure that he doesn't think of any new tricks to play on me that he can teach to Mary and Emile_..." Cain thought, sourly, as he responded to some feminine shrieks of fright when they found a cleverly-hidden frog or lizard in something.

"It seems Judas has found his place in this household. Wouldn't you agree, sir?" Riff asked, his dry expression telling Cain that he also felt some exasperation at the American's mischievousness.

"Possibly...Or he's declaring war on the staff. He hasn't played any tricks on you yet, I take it?" Cain muttered.

"Aside from the usual around here? Not really." Riff replied, as they both watched as the two children and the other teenager took off across the field, with a few infuriated maids in hot pursuit.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

"You aren't doing yourself very many favors, Judas. Half the staff doesn't like you, now, as a result." Cain stated, later that same evening.

"I know. I apologize for that...but I guess with Mary and Emile, I get the chance to have some fun that I'd missed out on, back in the States." Judas sighed, smiling slightly when a hint of some emotion flitted across the young earl's face. They were now in the sitting room of the manor house, enjoying some good cups of brandy as they talked.

"I see what you mean, but don't let it become too much of a habit. One mischief maker in this house is bad enough...With three here, I'm afraid Riff might start tearing his hair out, at any moment." Cain muttered, dryly; smirking slightly when he felt Riff's eyes on his back, and could almost see the butler's deadpan expression at the comment.

"That would be bad, wouldn't it? I can't quite picture Riff without hair, so I'd best stop in my mischief before it comes to that...Though I can't speak for Emile or Mary, at this point." Judas said, chuckling when Riff allowed himself at least a longsuffering sigh. And yet, Judas could tell when the mood then shifted to what had happened at the Cromwell Estate.

"Judas, things might get even more complicated, as time goes on. With my father still being alive, and the organization 'DELILAH' gaining strength, I may have to depend on your ability to defend Mary, Emile, and the rest of the people in this house, more than ever." Cain murmured, as the troubled look returned to his eyes.

"Cain, I've already told you, you don't have to doubt where my alliances lay, or whether or not I would use these knives to fight. It's help and be helped. I rescued Mary that night in the harbor because I wanted to, and you helped me in return...not just because of gratitude or honor, but because it was something you desired to do. My promise to protect not only falls on the two children, but also on you and Riff, as well." Judas stated, with a small amount of irritation in his voice, as he said that.

"Be that as it may, just be sure to remember the dinner party tomorrow night." Riff quietly reminded, as a scowl appeared on Cain's face at that.

"I will, just so long as Judas brings his knives." Cain grumbled, irritably.

"Family gatherings are that bad for you too, huh?" Judas asked, with a look of understanding.

"You have no idea." Cain muttered, only dreading what the next night would hold in store for him, and his American cousin.

_**Author's Note!**_

_**Again, not a very exciting chapter, but I needed another 'bridge' between the end of 'Butterfly Bones' and the next event to occur before Cain's next encounter with DELILAH. Hope this was an 'okay' chapter, nonetheless!**_

_**Gemini14**_


	7. Their Lion Crests

Chapter Seven: Their Lion Crests

Judas followed Cain closely, as they both entered a bar got some drinks. It was the evening of the dinner party, and Cain was not looking forward to it, at all.

"_Meeting with his relatives must be like getting some teeth pulled_ _by that creepy doctor and maybe a homemade monster. As it is, I'm not so excited about it, either._" Judas groused. Even though he was an American, it didn't change the fact that he was also a Hargreaves, thus he was also roped into the unpleasant business of going to social functions and what-have-you.

"Hey! You! Why so glum, chum? Want to hit the town together?" a young woman's voice asked, as the owner of it cheerily approached them. She appeared to be about their age, yet wore thick makeup and expensive clothing; even though she appeared to want them to think she was a 'demimondaine'. When Cain didn't answer, Judas gave the young woman a slight smile.

"Sounds good. What's your name?" Judas asked; as Cain gave him an unreadable look for this.

"I'm Eliza! Nice to meet you. Are you two twins?" the woman again asked, curiously, when she'd seen the almost eerie resemblance between Judas and Cain. Judas only smiled.

"Some people have made that assumption, Miss Eliza." Judas said, politely; getting a giggle from Eliza, at his manners.

"Oh please! None of that 'Miss Eliza' stuff! Just call me Eliza!" Eliza said, her eyes sparkling good-naturedly, as she sat down beside them, and waited for them to finish their drinks.

"Then I think we'll take you up on your offer, Eliza. My cousin here could use a bit of cheering up." Judas said; giving Cain a conspiratorial wink as he said that, and getting an exasperated look from the young Englishman in answer to it.

"Riff is going to take our heads, stuff them, and display them over the mantle for this." Cain grumbled, as he stood to get his coat and hat, and Judas moved to do the same.

"At least we'll die in the company of a beautiful woman." Judas cheerfully joked, chuckling when Cain muttered something under his breath, and they both followed Eliza outside. The streets beyond were misty and cool, as the unlikely trio wandered through them. After visiting a few of the shops that were still open at that time of the evening, Cain started to become a little concerned about Eliza, and whoever might be waiting for her.

"Eliza, don't you think you should go ahead and go home? Your family must be worried about you, by now." Cain said, quietly, as they rounded another corner. Neither he nor Judas missed it when a hint of pain appeared in Eliza's clear blue eyes, or when she tried to cover it with another smile.

"I'll be fine. Nobody worries about me." Eliza replied; the loneliness of her words not disguised in the least by her devil-may-care attitude. It was then that their evening took a much darker turn. No sooner had those words left her mouth, when Cain noticed what appeared to be a figure slumped against the side of one of the nearby buildings. Following his gaze, both Eliza and Judas had to stifle gasps.

"Is...Is this guy dead?.!" Eliza asked, aghast by the sight before them. The man appeared finely dressed, but the cloth of his coat, vest, and shirt over the left side of his chest was marred by the blood soaking through from the wound under them.

"_Sure looks that way_..." Judas mused, as he watched Cain grimly kneel down and get a closer look (an act that made Eliza get a bit of a greenish tinge to her pretty face).

"Wh...what are you doing?.!" Eliza stammered, as Cain carefully checked for the wound that had killed the man.

"Judas, come over here. Tell me what you make of this." Cain said, softly. With a nod, Judas carefully approached. With expert eyes, Judas took in all the vague clues the body could supply, without touching it.

"It looks like he was shot, but this is no ordinary bullet wound." Judas murmured; his eyes narrowing as he tried to put the facts together.

"True enough. It was an extremely small caliber bullet...Far smaller than even the smallest pistol...but what could have fired it?" Cain wondered, aloud.

"Good question...But it looks like it's something the police will have to figure out for themselves, since we can't do anything more." Judas wisely said, his words getting a nod from the young Earl.

"Indeed. But..." Cain started to say, before he noticed something else. On the palm of the left hand of the corpse, a rather strange wound had revealed itself. It appeared to be the imprint of an animal, almost like that seen on the head of a cane.

"_Is that_..._a lion?_" both young men wondered; ignoring Eliza when she gave them a thoroughly disgusted look over what they were doing.

"Gross! How could you two examine a corpse?.!" Eliza asked, then seemed to straighten, got closer, and looked closely at the dead man's face.

"C-colin?.!" Eliza whispered, shocked by this development. Both Cain and Judas abruptly looked up at her in surprise.

"You know this man?" they both questioned, getting a stunned nod from Eliza as a response. Then she backed away again, her eyes filling with bitterness as she did so.

"Then again, not really. He's just my fiancé." Eliza said, quietly.

"_If that's the case, then why isn't she in the least bit upset about this?_" Judas wondered, as he and Cain stood, and then Cain went to find a policeman; leaving him with a now very subdued Eliza.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

A short while later, the trio found themselves within the walls of Scotland Yard. Judas sighed when he heard the angry shouting of the young woman in the room behind them, and could only thank whoever was listening that he wasn't the one catching the brunt of it.

"Lord Cain, Judas." Riff's voice called, as the butler approached.

"_On second thought_..." Judas mentally mumbled, his own expression deadpanning when he thought of the talking to they were about to get from Riff. The older man looked annoyed, to say the least.

"I told you not to come." Cain grumbled, furthering Riff's irritation slightly.

"I received a call from Scotland Yard, so I had no choice, Milord." Riff replied, calmly. Yet, before he could say anything more, Eliza burst from the room.

"Hey! Cain! Judas! I'm leaving too! I don't want to be here for another minute!" Eliza furiously growled, as she stomped out of the room, "How dare they treat me like a criminal? Let's go and get another drink!" And yet, to the young woman's surprise, instead of receiving an agreement from the two young men, she got a sound slap in the face from another man that had just arrived!

"Wh...why did you do that?.! Pig!" Eliza spat, angrily. To further her own anger, the man she was shouting at didn't even react to her ranting, and instead gave Cain, Riff, and Judas an apologetic look.

"Please excuse my younger sister's behavior." the man coolly said, then added, as he focused his attention on Cain, "I'm Dudley, Eliza's older brother. I believe you are Earl Hargreaves. I met you once at a tea party."

"Oh, nice to see you again." Cain said, a little uneasily.

"He's a pretty strict older brother, to slap his sister in public like that." Judas muttered, so only Cain could hear.

"True. But I can see why." Cain agreed; smirking slightly when Dudley took a good close look at Judas, and a confused look appeared in his eyes.

"This fellow bears an uncanny resemblance to you, Earl Hargreaves. Is he in some way related to you?" Dudley asked, a little curiously.

"Yes. As a matter of fact, this is my American cousin, Judas Hargreaves." Cain introduced.

"Pleased to meet you, sir." Judas said, with a slight, polite bow; a gesture that Dudley merely nodded at.

"Likewise." Dudley replied, quietly.

"Wow! So you're the famous Earl Cain Hargreaves! And Judas is from the American branch of the family?" Eliza asked, and, when she'd gotten some slight nods from both Judas and Cain for that, leaned over and whispered to Riff, "I've heard some ugly rumors about Cain. Everyone says the Hargreaves Family is cursed, and so is Cain! The Grim Reaper follows him everywhere he goes! So...I wonder if the Grim Reaper killed Colin?" Riff could only give Eliza an unreadable look as she snickered at the thought, before looking aside at the two teenagers that now talked to the young woman's brother. It seemed as though the conversation was winding down, and they would soon be able to head home.

"Well, if you'll excuse me Earl, goodbye." Dudley said, calmly; not even noticing when both teens noticed the head of his cane.

"_A lion crest?_" Judas wondered, as Dudley patiently forced his sister to leave Scotland Yard with him (and as Eliza argued with him, the whole way).

"Lord Cain...I don't mean to be disrespectful, sir but...if you skipped tonight's dinner party for that girl, then I must say that I'm not very impressed." Riff murmured, voicing his opinion on the matter in his usual quiet manner, then added, "And Judas, I must say likewise for you."

"What are you saying, Riff? Do you also care about what society thinks?" Cain asked, irritably, as the three of them walked out of Scotland Yard, as well.

"I'm sorry Riff, but I'm not exactly inclined to find somebody else who would rip my back and chest apart for nightly entertainment purposes." Judas grumbled; his comment only adding to Cain's words. Riff sighed.

"_Knew I should've taken that job in Baker Street_..._This is going to be a long evening._" Riff thought, then said, "Did you two forget that tonight's dinner party was in honor of Cain's guardian, Lord Neil? I'm sure Lord Neil was looking forward to finally having a decent conversation with you today, and also getting the chance to meet Judas, as well."

"_Way to go, Riff ol' boy. Way to make us both feel like a couple of jackasses._" Judas silently groused, as guilt wormed its' way into him; and he could tell that Cain was feeling the same thing. For a few moments, the two teenagers and the butler stood waiting for a carriage to come by, so they could begin the long ride back to the estate; a strained silence seemingly thickening the air between them. The mood wasn't helped much by what Riff said next.

"I also don't have a good feeling about that girl...I think I understand why her brother is so strict with her..." Riff murmured; knowing he'd said the wrong thing, when both Cain and Judas gave him identical scalding looks.

"How can you, of all people, say that kids who don't fit in should be punished? You, who have seen the scars on my back? As well as the horrible wounds on Judas'?" Cain hissed, as he started to walk off.

"That's not what I..." Riff started to say, as he reached out to place a hand on Cain's shoulder, only to get said hand swatted away, for his efforts.

"Take it elsewhere." Judas growled, as he followed his British cousin into the darkness.

"I just meant that he's strict with her because he worries about her..." Riff said, yet got no response from either young man for those words.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

"Cain, can I ask you something?" Judas asked, a short while later. They were now fairly close to the home of Eliza and her elder brother Dudley, since their anger with Riff had carried them quite far from his side. For a moment, it seemed as though Cain was still too upset to answer, then he uttered a pained sigh, and looked back at Judas.

"Yes? What is it, Judas?" Cain replied, tiredly.

"What you'd said a little bit ago...Were you...? Did you also suffer that kind of abuse?" Judas hesitantly asked. He could tell when a hint of shame and pain appeared in Cain's gold-green eyes, then he lowered his gaze and nodded.

"I did...till I was twelve years of age. My own father would beat me with a whip every night to..." Cain said, yet was interrupted by Judas' subdued voice.

"...'Cleanse you of your sins'? I heard the same damned line from my grandfather every night, as well. And the line 'You will die alone and unloved...You, who bears the name of one of the most vile men in the Bible...'" Judas almost whispered, then somehow steeled himself, "It was words like those that very nearly broke my spirit...If it hadn't been for Joe and his little sister Eva, I wouldn't have survived at all. But it's my fault that Eva died...a sin I will never atone for...no matter how hard I may try."

"How did she die, Judas? You never did explain that to either Riff or me." Cain said, as he started to calm down even more. He could almost feel his cousin's heartache as though it were his own, before he spoke again.

"My uncles killed her. Shot her right through the heart with a hunting rifle right in front of me...The power of the gunshot tore her heart right out of her body..." Judas painfully said; some tears escaping from his eyes, as he remembered the gruesome sight, and the feel of her blood when some of it had landed on him.

"I'm sorry to have made you remember that...since it's still such a fresh wound." Cain murmured, as he tried to console the grieving teen beside him. Judas could only give him a grateful glance, and a shaky smile.

"You're a good man, Cain. One of the rare good ones in this supposedly cursed clan that we both had the misfortune to be born into. I just hope we'll be able to defend those we care the most about from the darkness...and that I'll be able to keep my promise to protect you, Mary, Emile, and Riff from your father." Judas stated, bravely. At this, he got a slight smile from Cain, as well.

"You have already done quite well, so far. Judging from the amount of blood Riff had found the morning following your daring rescue of Emile, my father was bleeding like a stuck pig from the knife wound you'd given him." Cain said, as Judas then gave him a semblance of his usual courage-filled smile.

"Good." Judas growled, "Though normally, I like to give people fair warning before I throw; that scum didn't deserve even that."

"And on that point, we both agree." Cain as they both walked up to the doorstep, and he knocked on the door. Not surprisingly, Eliza was the one who answered.

"Earl Cain! Judas! What are you two doing here?" Eliza asked, as Dudley also came to the door and gave both young men a curious look.

"Just wanted to be sure that you two had made it home all right. That's all." Judas said, his frank honesty getting a smile from Eliza.

"As you can see, we both managed to get here unharmed. Care to come in? The least we can do is offer you both some brandy, and call for a carriage to take you both home." Dudley offered.

"Your kindness is very much appreciated. Thank you." Cain replied; his words getting only a nod from the quiet man, before they were allowed inside and led to the parlor.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

The following evening, Judas again found himself following Eliza to the same parlor. At his side, Cain also thoughtfully strode.

"_Once again, Riff wasn't very happy about letting us come here, but there's no stopping Cain when he gets an idea in his head_..._Yet, then again, I'm just about as stubborn, so I have no room to talk._" Judas mused; looking aside when the voices of the house staff came to his ears.

"No one would say anything about poor dead Lord Colin. He was kind and friendly, and he put up with Eliza's outrageous behavior without complaining!" one maid said, as she peeled potatoes for the evening meal. This got murmured agreements from the rest, before another spoke up.

"And then Miss Eliza started to slather on makeup and go out every night! Shameful!" the other maid said, before Eliza herself slammed the door to the kitchen closed, startling the maids inside into temporary silence, and then continued down the hallway.

"Sorry about that. Our maids are dreadful gossips." Eliza apologized, when she'd seen the surprised looks on both young men's faces.

"No need to apologize. Think nothing of it." Judas stated, then silently added, "_I've certainly heard worse said about me._"

"Everyone in this house thinks I'm bad...They all hate me, just like my older brother. Since I'm the one who'd broken his leg, that's why Dudley hates me." Eliza murmured, bitterly, then added, "We used to play in the ruins when we were small. One day, they came crumbling down, and my brother was badly hurt trying to save me. Since then, he's been very strict with me, since our parents died when I was small...He probably even thinks I killed Colin...But, I guess I wouldn't have loved a husband who was chosen for me by my family, anyway." By this time, they'd reached the parlor, and had helped themselves to the brandy.

"_I wouldn't be too sure_..._Now that I think about it, maybe what Riff had said when I had stormed off had been the truth_..._That Dudley is just strict because he's concerned about her_..." Cain thought, jumping slightly when a soft clicking noise came from the painting he was standing under; knowing that Judas had also heard it, since he was feeling for his knives and looking at the painting with evident distrust and suspicion.

"It's nothing, don't worry. I'm always being watched by someone in this house." Eliza said, nonchalantly, as she gracefully stood and walked over to Cain; kissing him as she did so, "It's probably just someone my brother had hired to keep an eye on me. They like to report things like this to him."

"Then it's probably a safe bet that he isn't very happy with us being here, either, judging from that bit of information." Judas muttered, as he again glanced warily at the painting, and sat back down.

"Probably not." Cain agreed, then motioned to the crest that could be seen on the mantle, "Is this your family crest?"

"Yes. A lion carrying a sword." Eliza replied, simply.

"I see...Tonight...let's return to the scene of Colin's murder." Cain said, firmly; his decision now made about which 'path' to choose next.

"What?.! No! I want to forget about Colin!" Eliza shouted, as Cain resolutely walked away from her so he could grab his coat and hat.

"Why do you want to go back there, Cain?" Judas asked, curious about this development, to say the least.

"I just remembered a vital clue...an immobile piece of evidence." Cain replied, as he handed Eliza her coat, and gave him an almost unreadable look.

"Lead the way, then." Judas said, after a resigned sigh; knowing that there would be no talking the stubborn earl out of it, now.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

By the time they had reached the alley where the body had been found, it was nearing midnight. With some uneasiness, Judas reluctantly stood off to one side with Eliza, when Cain urged him to do so.

"_So as not to raise suspicion._" Cain had said, when the impromptu plan had been made during the walk there.

"_But whose suspicion are we trying to avoid?_" Judas wondered, as he watched Cain look closely at the wall where Colin's body had been found. Moments later, a distinctive sound came to their ears; a sound both Judas and Cain had noticed the previous night in the same alley.

"I remember those footsteps...Those were the footsteps I heard just before we found Dudley's body...the sound of a man walking with a cane. Eliza's brother, Dudley." Cain's voice stated, as a man materialized out of the gloom to stand before them.

"_Eliza's brother?.! What's he doin' here?.!_" Judas' mind yelped, as he tried to keep Eliza quiet just long enough to hear what was about to be said, and watch Cain's back while he was at it.

"That lion-shaped wound on Colin's hand...it's just like the crest carved on your cane, undoubtedly the only one of its' kind. If he had clutched it during the scuffle with his killer, then it wouldn't be surprising to see a mark like that on his corpse. You were watching Eliza that day when you accidentally ran into Colin and killed him. Am I correct?" Cain asked, coolly.

"It's an interesting theory, but..." Dudley said, as he raised his cane and pointed it at the young earl's chest, "Don't you think that this hidden pistol is what had actually killed Colin?" To Judas' alarm, they could both now see that the cane had been hollowed out to allow it to have been made into a gun barrel; and, before any of them could react, it went off. It was in that split second that two things happened...Out of nowhere, Riff leaped in front of Cain; taking the bullet that would have killed the young earl, for himself...and Dudley's deadly cane was knocked from his hand by a knife that came sailing in from behind Cain and Riff.

"No! Dudley!" Eliza screamed, as she rushed out of the alley towards them.

"Eliza?.!" Dudley yelped, shocked by the young woman's presence there.

"A-are you hurt, sir?" Riff gasped, painfully, as he gazed up at Cain's suddenly very pale features.

"You fool! What about you?.!" Cain in turn asked, as Judas rushed over to them, as well.

"I-it's all right...The wound...doesn't feel life-threatening..." Riff said, trying vainly to reassure the two teens hovering anxiously over him.

"I hope it isn't...I don't know where that knife in his cane could've come from. I couldn't have hit it from where I was." Judas said, as a shocked look crossed Cain's features.

"Then where...?" Cain asked, before a calm voice answered him.

"I was the one who had thrown it...though I was a few moments too late to prevent his injury." the owner of the voice said, as he moved fluidly from the shadows, and kneeled down on Riff's right-hand side; giving the wounds a cursory look as he did so.

"Who...?" Cain started to ask, as he took in the newcomer's appearance, and his voice froze in his throat. The man appeared to be about twenty-two or twenty-three years of age, had long, pale hair that was tied back in a loose pony tail, and calm blue-grey eyes.

"_Disraeli_..." Cain's mind muttered, as it warred between trying to drag Riff away from him, and wrestling the mad doctor to the ground in order to protect both Judas and the injured butler from him.

"Joe? Is that you?" Judas' voice asked, almost too softly to be heard in the midst of the suddenly noisy alley. At this, a slight smile appeared on the man's face.

"It's only been half a year, Jude. I can't have changed that much!" the man said, warmly.

"I can't believe it! What're you doin' here?.!" Judas yelped, as he came around and gripped the man's arms firmly; eyes wide with disbelief when he found that he wasn't seeing things. 'Joe's' expression then sobered.

"I came because somebody had started making inquiries about you back in the States, Jude...and knew it would be only a matter of time before your uncles learned of your presence here in London and would come sniffing around." Joe stated, grimly, as all the color fled from Judas' face.

"_I don't like where this is going_..." Judas thought, as they returned their attention to what was going on between Eliza and Dudley.

"Why?.! Did you kill Colin, Dudley?.!" Eliza questioned; horrified by what had just happened, and wanting to find out the truth. Dudley nodded.

"I had a feeling...that Colin had a dark side to him that no one saw. I heard him badmouthing you when he thought no one was watching...That day, I confronted him after he'd insulted you, and he admitted everything!" Dudley replied, as he leaned heavily on a wall; not even having the energy to bend down and retrieve his fallen cane. They could all see when comprehension appeared on Eliza's pretty face.

"You knew...? That Colin used to hit me?" Eliza softly asked.

"Yes. I knew...because I watched over you. I even knew that the reason you started to wear thick makeup was to hide the bruises he gave you...and that you suffered without telling anyone because you thought that no one would believe you." Dudley murmured, as tears began to flow freely down Eliza's face; washing away the makeup and revealing the ugly black and purple bruises that her brother had just mentioned.

"You're lying! You lost your right leg because of me! You hate me!" Eliza argued, yet was shocked even further by what her brother said next.

"I thanked God with all my heart that day...I thought that, now that my parents are gone, I have to protect my sister...I saved her life in exchange for one of my legs. My sister is alive, thank God!" Dudley quietly said, as a relieved smile appeared on his tired features, "I would never be so strict with anyone I didn't love...You mean more to me than anyone else. That's why I told you things that weren't always easy to say."

"Wouldn't it have been easier to just pretend to care? How could I have known unless you told me?.! I'm not that smart!" Eliza shouted, as she rushed over to him and gently hugged him, her tears flowing unchecked down her face, as she did so.

"I'm sorry! I'll wait! I'll wait till you come back and we can live together again!" Eliza sobbed, not caring that the four other men were still there within the alley with them.

"_At least now she can begin to heal from this ordeal._" Judas mused, then gazed uncertainly at Joe. What else did his old friend have to tell them, and what would it do to them in the long run?

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Later, when they had all returned to the estate, Judas and Cain could only watch as Joe carefully tended to Riff's injuries.

"You're a lucky man, I'll say that much. The bullet went straight through without hitting any vital organs, and imbedded itself in your arm." Joe muttered, when he'd finished bandaging Riff's torso and said arm, and then stood back to give the butler a chance to catch his breath. Riff could only offer an arched eyebrow in response to that, and allowed himself a sigh of relief when he was finally able to relax a little bit.

"I suppose you're right about that." Riff agreed, as he watched the other man begin to put away some of the medical supplies.

"So, you're Josiah Hargers...It's eerie how much you look like an enemy of mine." Cain stated, as he got a good look at the man Judas had trusted (and still trusted) implicitly. Now that they were indoors, where the light was better, he could now see what he'd missed earlier in the alleyway; instead of being a shade of gray, Josiah's hair was actually pale blond...in fact, almost a cream color (under all the coal dust that had accumulated there from his time in steerage on the ship he'd stowed away in). His blue-grey eyes also had flecks of silver mixed in as well, making them shine oddly when the light hit them in just the right way. Josiah smirked at this comment, and shook his head.

"I don't hear that very often...But, judging from how you had reacted to my appearance back there, this fellow must have left a very strong impression." Josiah murmured.

"The understatement of the century, Joe." Judas mumbled, then added, "The only way I knew it was you, was the fact that I could see your knife-belt. You would never let anyone else have that belt without a fight."

"True enough. Each of these knives was crafted with your protection in mind, Jude." Josiah said, reminding the younger American of that.

"Just as my knives are meant to protect Riff and Cain, and the two children under this roof with them." Judas added, his comment getting an odd look from Josiah as a response.

"Be that as it may...Cain, the reason I was always able to find you, no matter where you hid, was because, like Lord Dudley, I'm always watching over you." Riff almost whispered; wincing slightly when the effort to speak hurt his chest.

"You're lying. You were too busy to do that." Cain muttered; his tone subdued, rather than irritated or angry about Riff's earlier recklessness.

"True...But, when I lost sight of you...I would try to follow your thoughts...Your favorite place. The path you liked. The tree you liked to sit under...As I searched for you, worrying about whether you were crying...strangely, I always found you." Riff admitted, softly.

"It was much the same for me. Only, I had the added worry of whether or not Jude was huddled somewhere bleeding...Those bastards had almost killed him on a good number of occasions...It's a true miracle that he'd managed to survive ten years of that hell." Josiah murmured, as he gently ruffled Judas' hair; his eyes taking on the protective, brotherly glint that Dudley's eyes had shown hours before.

"In many ways, you two are our 'lion crests'...So you are not allowed to get hurt without our permission." Cain said, firmly; getting quiet nods, and even a slight smile from Josiah as a response to that.

"And that comes as an order from the head of the Hargreaves family...so you two had better listen." Judas said, his mood lightening for the first time in days.

"That's all well and good...but you yourself need to listen to 'orders', as well. Your back still hasn't healed completely...and you haven't been resting as much as I had suggested you to." Riff retorted, as a look of annoyance appeared on Judas' face.

"Come off it, Riff." Judas muttered, as Josiah and even Cain snickered at his expense.

_**Author's Note!**_

_**All I can say is, I hope this chapter was all right, and wasn't too confusing! 'Zigeunerweisen' is coming up next! Stay tuned!**_

_**Gemini14**_


	8. Memories, Dreams, and Premonitions

Chapter Eight: Memories, Dreams, and Premonitions

"_I'm scared_….._so scared._" An almost fevered mind shouted, as its' owner wandered through the shadowed halls of his own mind. In the midst of the 'nightmare' a maid gently yet silently led him forward, heading towards a room that held a terrifying memory. His fear wasn't helped much by the music he could hear coming from within the room before them.

"_What's that song? Where are we going? No_……_Don't open that door!_"

………………………..

Judas could only watch, as his cousin twisted uncomfortably under the sheets; firmly in the throes of some fever-induced dream of some kind. Several months had passed, since the incident at the Butterfly Mansion, and his back's wounds had finally healed to a point where he didn't have to worry about them breaking open again….Yet, now, it hardly mattered to the American Hargreaves, since he was too worried about Cain to even be his usual cheerful and mischievous self. The young Earl of the English Hargreaves had, by all appearances, fallen ill because of overwork…..but one could never tell, because of the sheer number of enemies Cain had, and the possibility that someone, somehow, had slipped some kind of new poison into the supposed stronghold Cain had built around himself.

"How is he, Judas? Still no change?" Mary-Weather asked, worriedly, as she and Emile entered the room and gazed at the sweat-soaked figure on the bed before them. Judas only sighed wearily and shook his head.

"His fever is still too high." Judas replied, then added, "Have Riff and Joe left to get some more medicine, yet?"

"Mr. Hargers left about an hour ago. I think Riff is still here, though." Emile said, helpfully; too subdued by Cain's current state to act as he normally acted.

"I hope Joe gets back here soon, then…..Unless Cain wakes up today, he could….." Judas started to say, then shook his head. He didn't want to voice the last part, since he himself had lost far too many loved ones for his liking. All three of them jumped, when they heard Cain begin to mumble deliriously under his breath.

"You…..would bring……end of the world…..Can't resist…..temptation…..woman of Philistia…." Cain almost whimpered; shuddering violently when Judas gently gripped his left shoulder, and crying out in fear as he did so.

"Cain! It's all right! Wake up!" Judas called, as he moved from the chair to the bed, and carefully gripped both of his cousin's shoulders in his strong hands; fearful that Cain's delirium was getting worse.

"Go and get Riff! NOW!!" Judas commanded; the urgency in his tone sending the two children scrambling to go and get the butler. Without another thought, Judas embraced the shivering form of his cousin, and held him tightly against him; wishing earnestly that this enemy could have been one he could have defeated with his knives.

"Hang on, Cain. Just hang on. Don't give in to this." Judas murmured, inwardly wincing when he felt just how hot Cain's skin was through the thin material of his nightshirt, and even his own shirt; yet feeling a slight stirring of hope within him, when Cain's shuddering started to ease.

"Lord Cain!" Riff's voice yelped, as he charged into the room, with maids carrying bowls filled to the brim with ice and water right on his heels.

"R-riff…..? Judas…..?" a weak whisper asked, semi-coherently, from amidst the oddly comforting embrace of the young American.

"Cain! You're awake!" Judas said, with obvious relief in his voice, and even a few tears in his eyes. At this, Cain looked up at the both of them; an odd, almost grateful smile appearing on his pale features at seeing the expressions on their faces, and sensing the honesty behind them.

"It was…..such an old dream……One I had almost completely forgotten…..It was from right before my godfather…..my grandfather……had passed away….." Cain whispered, as he relaxed against Judas' chest, and listened to his cousin's heartbeat.

"You sure scared the hell outta us, you know that? Hopefully this will teach you not to overexert yourself, next time!" Judas chastened, halfheartedly; remembering how Cain had collapsed at one of the many dinner parties he'd been scheduled to attend, and yet seeming surprised when the young Earl nodded tiredly in agreement.

"I agree." Riff added, as he and Judas both helped Cain lie back down, and then started placing the cold compresses on his still over-warm skin, "This incident brings back a few too many bad memories, Milord."

"I know…..Sorry to have worried you….." Cain murmured, apologetically, then glanced at Judas, "You look a little worn thin yourself…..Have you been standing vigil over me?"

"Of course. You honestly didn't expect me to back out on my promise, did you?" Judas replied, as a slight smile worked its' way back onto his tired face; glad that Cain had overcome the 'illness', and surprised when Cain gave him a slight smirk of his own in answer to it.

"Knowing our family…..as well as I should……You're nothing if not stubborn…..I'll wager…..that you stayed up to watch over me…..even when threatened by that fearsome force you call Josiah Hargers……to tie you down on your bed and force you to drink a sleeping draught. Am I right?" Cain questioned; managing a snicker when an abashed look crossed his cousin's face, and knowing he'd hit the proverbial nail on the head.

"Cain! Thank goodness you're awake! I was so afraid that you were going to……That I was going to….." Mary-Weather sobbed, as she dashed over to the bed before anyone could stop her and tearfully gazed at her brother's pale face. With a gentle smile, Cain weakly reached out and gingerly gripped her small hand in his.

"As he'd said, Mary, those of the Hargreaves family are too stubborn to die from something like this!" Judas said, with almost a relieved laugh; and as the young girl smiled as well. As he watched them interact, Cain couldn't help but feel comforted by their presences there: his half-sister, his fiercely loyal butler who had been by his side since he was twelve, his stubborn and protective American cousin, and said cousin's boyhood friend and guardian. Feeling their strength gave him strength, and yet……

"_Why did I have that dream again after so long? What could it mean?_" Cain wondered, as he let himself drift into slumber again; feeling some relief when no nightmares came to replay themselves in his weary mind.

………………………………..

It was quite some time later in the same morning, when Cain again returned to consciousness. Once again, he was alone in his room, but he could clearly sense that those who cared the most for his welfare were just beyond the door, in case he needed them.

"_Yet, at least now, the fever seems to be gone._" Cain mused, as he slowly got out of bed and made his way to the bathroom to get a much-needed shower. He'd barely had time to even get started, when the telltale sounds of someone arriving were heard downstairs.

"_Damnation._" Cain mentally growled, irritably; his mood souring even further when he recognized the voice as belonging to his uncle, Neil.

"Cain!!" the older man's voice shouted, urgently; despite the entreaties made by both Riff and Josiah to keep quiet for the sake of his health. With much reluctance, Cain sighed and stepped out of the shower, donned his bathrobe, and then went out to face his uncle; grabbing a towel for his still-wet hair as he went. He was barely prepared for the sight that greeted him when he arrived within the parlor where his uncle waited; there stood Judas at the foot of the stairs, with Lord Neil almost glaring at him in the meantime.

"Unwell, you said? He looks fit enough to me!" Neil growled, irritably, not taking his eyes off of the green-eyed teenager for a second.

"I'm not Cain, sir." Judas muttered; becoming more than minutely annoyed when the older man didn't even listen to him.

"Uncle Neil, why are you here so early?" Cain finally asked, as he made his way down the stairs (much to the relief of Judas, and the concern of Riff and Josiah).

" 'Early'?! The sun is already high in the sky! But never mind that! Who the blazes is this youth?!" Neil questioned, as he motioned to Judas as though he were an offensive object.

"His name is Judas Hargreaves, and he is from the United States. Currently, he is residing with me." Cain replied, his tone mirroring the annoyance in Judas' eyes exactly.

"I see…..Then I apologize for being so abrasive." Neil murmured, as he glanced apologetically at Judas, and seemed surprised when he in turn shrugged.

"Happens all the time, so don't worry about it." Judas said, honestly; having long since gotten used to being mixed up with Cain, because of his uncanny resemblance to him. Looking relieved that he'd been forgiven of that slip, Neil returned to the original intent of his visit.

"Is it true, Cain? Did you see him? Did you see your father, Alexis?! According to the police, a young girl named Lukia had said that someone else had been involved; someone had been staying in the tower! That was Alexis, wasn't it?!" Neil asked; his voice rising in volume the further along in the questioning he went. He therefore seemed unaware when Cain's eyes widened, and his face blanched; alarming Riff, Judas, and Josiah when he reached out to steady himself on a piece of furniture.

"Someone was there, sir, but I'd managed to give him a parting gift before he could do any more damage." Judas said, confidently; watching as Neil's eyebrows rose, and as the older man turned and gave him (and his knives) a disbelieving look.

"A 'parting gift'? You mean one of those?" Neil questioned, as he nodded to the knife belts that were wrapped securely around the teen's trim waist. Judas nodded.

"One of the very same……Though I had to replace the one I had thrown, since that rat had gotten away before I could retrieve it." Judas stated, bravely.

"I taught Jude everything he knows, sir, thus he is more than capable of protecting the Earl." Josiah said; speaking up for the first time in this conversation.

"So it seems…..I've made some arrangements, since there are many who would do harm to this family…..Cain, whatever had happened at Butterfly Mansion, please keep it to yourself. Especially if it is Alexis. Even though you now have some strong allies of your own, I don't think they will be enough to stand up to him alone. You know this better than anyone." Neil said, as Cain stumbled behind a folding partition to get dressed, with Riff closely following behind him.

"I think you've said enough. Cain's in no condition to hear that sort of talk, right now." Judas stated, to his cousin's defense; bristling when Neil gave him a look that told him what exactly his position was, in the household…..and it was just barely above that of a servant.

"I've always known what a wretch Alexis is. He'll do anything to achieve his goals, but never gets his own hands dirty. Few people realize what a genius he is until it is too late…..Only those who have had their happiness stolen by him can possibly understand….." Neil murmured; even though he was fully aware of the American Hargreaves' caustic glare, and the effort that Josiah was going to, to make sure that another 'Jack the Ripper' wasn't about to be 'born'.

"Did my father……steal your happiness as well, Uncle Neil?" Cain shakily asked, as he emerged from behind the screen, this time in shirt and trousers, and with Riff tightening a silk tie around his neck as he spoke, "I don't mind if you criticize him….but please, don't assume to know how I feel. Or maybe it is just inconvenient that he's suddenly reappeared?"

"_Cain, you're treading on thin ice_….." Judas silently warned, as he watched Neil's face begin to show some anger towards the young Earl.

"I don't blame you. I suppose you had worked hard to become Earl Hargreaves' guardian. Just how much do you desire the earldom's family name and fortune?" Cain asked, before a resounding slap almost sent him sprawling. Riff winced and Josiah tightened his grip on the now furious Judas (who was, even now, trying to unsheathe at least two of his knives and leap to Cain's side).

"Easy, Jude. Calm down." Josiah murmured, as he watched Cain get back up and put a hand to his stinging cheek, and as Riff steadied him. It was the uncertain voice of one of the servants that broke the uneasy standstill that followed afterwards.

"What is it?!" Neil asked, impatiently, as the girl before him took a step back when she heard the anger in his tone.

"Um…..Someone just delivered a package for you, Lord Neil……" the girl said, hesitantly, as she nodded to the oblong box she held in her arms. It appeared to be a normal box, that was wrapped in pure white gift-wrap, and had a red ribbon tied around it. At this, all in the room turned confused glances to one another, and then the package itself; who could have known that Neil would even be there?

"Do you know who sent it?" Josiah asked, cautiously, as he gave the box a wary look; touching the ever-present knives at his own waist as he did so. The girl shook her head.

"There isn't a name on it and the ones who had dropped it off didn't say anything, either." The girl replied; watching as Josiah took the box from her, placed it on a table, and then turned and gave those in the room with him a questioning look.

"Go ahead and open it, then." Neil ordered, stepping back when Josiah unsheathed one of his knives and carefully cut the ribbon and paper, then slowly opened the box itself. All of them recoiled in horror at the sight that greeted them from within the box itself. There, lying on it's own bed of white roses, lay a human arm! The hand of the arm was gripping what appeared to be a black-bordered card……..as well as the knife Judas had thrown at Cain's father at the Butterfly Mansion!

"Dear God, Jude……He knows about you, now….." Josiah whispered, numbly, as he stared at the macabre 'calling card' of Alexis Hargreaves' dark organization, and then glanced at the youth who had once been his own charge. To his astonishment, he could see not only comprehension in his golden-green eyes, but also a slight hint of resignation, as well.

"If it's a war Alexis Hargreaves wants, then so be it. I'm not running away from this, Joe…..No way in hell." Judas softly growled, as he gently closed the box; leaving the returned knife within it as he did so.

"You're both still willing to fight, even after learning this?" Neil asked, having been shaken from his own thoughts by Judas' words, and the determination behind them. All he got in response to this, was a slight nod.

"When you have something you wish to protect, you do all you can to guard it from harm. I may not have the extensive knowledge of poisons that Cain has, but I do what I can with what I have." Judas explained, then added, "I've lost enough loved ones to people such as Alexis Hargreaves….I won't lose anymore."

"_Those are bold words, Judas_….._I just hope that you are not one of those who will be lost in the battles to come_….." Cain mused, darkly, as they dispersed from the room, and as the police were summoned; inwardly praying that they wouldn't pay the awful price that Alexis had made so many others pay for getting close to him.

Author's Note!

Not a very long or detailed chapter, granted, but I needed to make sure I could submit chapters through this computer before I do any more writing...Hope it made at least some sense!

Gemini14


	9. The Strength to Fight Destiny

Chapter Nine: The Strength to Fight Destiny

Cain sighed as the sounds of steel on steel came to his ears. In front of him, Josiah and Judas sparred; their blades flashing in the weak afternoon sunlight. Even though the next encounter with Delilah was just around the bend, they didn't pick up the pace of their training at all.

"_Almost as though they aren't worried, when I know for a fact that they are. Even though Judas had been there at Butterfly Mansion, and had rescued Emile at the last possible moment, the incident made me realize that I am no match for my father_…._Will I ever be free of his curse?_" Cain wondered, somberly; jumping when Judas called out to him.

"Keep frowning like that, dear cousin, and you'll start getting wrinkles well before your time!" Judas laughed, as he chanced a glance over his shoulder at his somber relative, and gave him a devil-may-care smile.

"You certainly seem to be taking this in stride, Judas." Cain replied, as he put aside his grim musings and stood up from where he had been sitting watching them until then.

"As much as it is disrespectful of me to say this, Milord, worrying about this problem isn't going to solve anything…..but being prepared for it will." Josiah stated, coolly; watching as Cain reluctantly nodded in agreement.

"True enough, Mr. Hargers…..But how else can I prepare? I don't have the prowess you and Judas have with those knives, nor do I have the time to learn." Cain said, disparagingly.

"Just use the weapon at your disposal that you are the most familiar with, Milord…that being your poison collection." Josiah murmured, when he'd heard the hopeless note in the young Earl's voice, and walked over to him and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "You have nothing to fear, save the fear he planted in you. Conquer that, and he'll have one less weapon to use against you, in the long run."

"I wish I had time to ask you how you could know so much, Josiah…..It would make the reason Judas trusts you so much even easier to understand." Cain stated; knowing that what the taller man had just touched upon was the bitter truth. At this, Josiah only smirked and offered him a slight shrug.

"Milord! The car is ready for your trip into town!" Riff called, before anything more could be said. With a resigned sigh, Cain turned to him and nodded.

"Judas, do you wish to come along with me?" Cain then asked, as he glanced at his cousin.

"Be with you in just a few minutes, Cain." Judas replied, as he sheathed his knives and prepared to return inside for a quick shower. Little did he or Josiah realize that they had been watched by yet another spectator….

…………………….

Evening shadows were falling, by the time Cain and Judas had finished with their business in town.

"You sure you're all right, Cain? You're looking pale again." Judas commented, as they walked along the cobblestones towards the car.

"I'm fine. No need to worry." Cain muttered, then irritably added, "Stop worrying so much!"

"Kinda hard not to worry, considering how sick you'd been until this morning….and even then your crabby old uncle wasn't givin' you a break!" Judas grumbled, his own mood souring when he remembered what had happened earlier.

"Don't let him hear you say that." Cain sighed, exasperatedly; perking up when some raised voices came to their ears.

"Hey! There's a gypsy girl singing over there!" a boy shouted, as he raced past the two teens.

"Really? Let's go and listen, then!" another cried, before taking off after his companion. After exchanging a glance, and nodding in silent agreement that they both needed a break, they discreetly followed the children to the place where the gypsy girl was. Almost immediately, Judas was taken aback by the beauty they could see before them. She was seated on the base of a fountain with a guitar in hand; soft brown skin and midnight hair glistening in the light of the full moon. A strong, yet sweet voice could be heard from her, singing a song of loneliness and unspeakable sorrow.

"You're drooling, Judas." Cain softly teased; snickering when his cousin took his eyes off of the dark beauty before them, and glared at him.

"Shut up, Cain." Judas retorted, then added, in a softer tone, "But her song sure sounds sad…..I wonder what it means?"

"Good question. They are a tribe of people who love their freedom, and live in harmony with the land and sky…..and yet…." Cain murmured, his eyes narrowing when some of those who had been jealously watching from the sidelines grabbed the gypsy girl; accusing her of 'stealing their audience' while they were at it. And yet, the bullies never expected to get driven off by a knife landing dangerously close to their feet.

"Wha…..?! Who the hell threw that?!" one of the men yelped, as he quickly backed away; angrily scanning the crowd for the guilty party as he did so.

"Someone who doesn't particularly like clowns or mimes." Judas growled, as he stepped out of the crowd, and glared venomously at the men; eyes alight with an anger that seared the men's souls. He could almost hear it when Cain uttered an exasperated hiss under his breath that sounded distinctly like his name; smirking since he knew he was going to get an earful for it, later.

"Are you all right, miss…..?" Judas started to ask, yet trailing off in almost horror when he saw what the short scuffle had done to the girl. Her clothing had been torn, and her dark hair, now revealed to be a wig, was on the ground in front of her….revealing to them what appeared to be some serious burn scars. Down the whole right side of her face, and extending down her neck and chest, the remnants of a horrific event in her past could be seen.

"Dear God….." Judas muttered, yet, even with his stomach roiling in protest, closed his eyes, took off his cloak, and gently draped it on the girl's shoulders. Looking up in surprise, the girl made eye contact with both Judas, and an approaching Cain.

"We couldn't understand your words, but your song was so painful….yet beautiful all the same." Cain said, as he offered the girl a hand up, and helped her get to her feet before turning to leave (and motioning for Judas to do the same).

"Gadjudiro." The girl softly said, her voice causing both young men to pause and look back at her, "The name of the song means 'outsider' in the language of the Romani."

" '_Outsider' huh? Then it suits both Cain and me very well._" Judas mused, then continued to listen to the girl as she explained the meaning of it even further.

"We've always been outsiders. But the air around one of you speaks of a different sort of isolation…..You've become Gadjudiro on purpose….." the girl stated, as she picked up her wig, replaced it over the short, flaxen hair that had been uncovered by it, picked up her own cloak, and handed Judas' back to him. Yet, even in those few short moments, Cain's mind was in a state of confusion. What did this girl mean?

"_What did she mean by outsider? That I did this to myself?_" Cain wondered, just barely hearing what was said next.

"Miss, you shouldn't walk around dressed like that. It'll just attract more lowlifes." Judas warned. This got a quiet, yet unreadable, glance over the girl's shoulder directed at him, before she spoke again.

"I don't mind, since the moon is my ally….The moon loves these scars and this soiled body, and accepts everything about me, thus gently lighting my way." The girl stated, bravely, before walking off and disappearing into an alley.

"Strange girl…..I wonder what she went through to arrive at that conclusion?" Judas murmured, subdued by the bitterness he had seen in the girl's eyes, even as she had said her parting remarks to them.

"I don't know….But what she has just said has reminded me of something….Remember that card that was in that box with the arm?" Cain questioned, as he gave Judas a grave look.

"Yes….What about it?" Judas in turn asked, confused by this change of subject for more than one reason.

"That card was a tarot card….but there were some odd things about it. For one, it had a red-clothed Virgin Mary on it, and it's numbers were wrong! Instead of being 'eighteen', it had 'seven' written in Roman numerals on it!" Cain said, as the proverbial alarm bells began to sound within both of their minds.

"And Joe had told me that your uncle had said something strange this morning, as well….Something about 'Henry the Seventh'." Judas added, noticing with some concern that Cain's face was now even paler than before.

"The Mary with the red garments on that card…..is a replica of the one in Henry the Seventh's tomb! And the ring that had been on that severed arm's hand had been the one I had seen in my dream…..the heirloom ring of the Hargreaves! If that package had indeed been sent by my father….." Cain started to say, before Judas quickly caught on and finished his thought.

"Then your uncle's in danger…..Where's the tomb located Cain? We've got to get there before that rat does something to harm your uncle!" Judas almost shouted, as they both started running; following Cain's lead, since the British teen knew where he was going.

"Westminster Cathedral!" Cain panted, as he pushed his still-recovering body to it's limits; knowing that if he wasn't fast enough, he would lose someone else important to him.

……………………..

The Cathedral's sanctuary was empty and silent, save for the two men who had come for a solitary meeting.

"So, you're still alive, Alexis." Neil growled, as he glared at the man who had sired Cain. In response, Alexis' smile only widened slightly.

"I guess this won't be quite the touching reunion that I'd imagined, eh, Neil?" Alexis asked, coolly; unfazed by the anger he could hear in his cousin's tone.

"The only time I see you is when someone dies….Like your father, your wife Lenora, and your older sister Augusta! Am I next?!" Neil questioned, yet received no answer from the madman before him. Only a cruel smile.

"I now have someone I need to protect…." Neil murmured, as he remembered what Judas had said, and knowing that the other teenager shared his desire to protect Cain from Alexis, "I can't allow myself to be killed so easily….for the Hargreaves Family, and for Cain, I must survive!"

"Interesting…..I'd always thought that your style of protecting your loved ones was from the shadows….." Alexis finally said; his words causing Neil to look at him in confusion, and his pistol's aim to waver.

"What do you mean?" Neil asked, unnerved by what Alexis said next.

"You think that I don't know? The reason you're so protective of him isn't because of the Hargreaves…..It is because you see her." Alexis sneered.

"What are you talking about?!" Neil shouted, not realizing that two more people had just arrived on the scene.

"You were in love with my sister, Augusta!" Alexis almost laughed, as he watched Cain emerge from the shadows, with Judas right beside him.

"_Now that the light is somewhat better, it's uncanny to see how much that other lad looks like him! Another child with the same cursed blood_……" Alexis mused, as he gazed at the American, and felt some surprise when he met his gaze with an iron-willed courage and determination.

"Wh….why are you two here?!" Neil yelped, when he had turned to look at the pair, and saw how pallid Cain now was, upon hearing his father's words.

"Of course, what you have just heard is true, Cain. Thus, you should be grateful to Neil. When Augusta was pregnant with you, the family wanted you erased, gone. But when he realized what that would do to my already fragile sister, Neil convinced the entire family to let you be born….That's the only reason you were allowed to live. Because of Neil's love for Augusta." Alexis explained, then drove the verbal knife in even deeper, "Or did you think you were the one who was loved?"

"Shut up." Judas snarled, as he unsheathed two of his knives, and prepared for a fight.

"_Jude, did you know you have a brother?_" his mother's voice echoed in his mind, and memories of a bygone time emerged for the briefest of moments.

"_Really Mama? A brother? Where?! Where is he?_" Judas had asked, eagerly; wanting to meet the sibling he didn't even know had existed until then.

"_Every person on earth has a twin. Some people call them 'dopplegangers' or 'body doubles'_….._Yet, though they share your appearance, they may have different personalities. That is why, if you ever do meet your twin, treat him as your brother. And, if he's alone, love him as your brother_….._even call him your brother, if you wish. Just to let him know that he isn't as alone as he might think!_" his mother had gently, and almost knowingly, said. And it was in that moment that Judas finally understood what his mother had been trying to tell him, all those years ago.

"_Cain is my 'brother'_….._Even more reason to protect him, than before!_" Judas thought, then looked back at Cain. The other teen looked almost as though he was feeling ill again and was about to faint, but was somehow managing to stay on his feet.

"You have no right to talk to Cain like that, Alexis! Look at this ring you used to lure me here!" Neil growled, as he leaped to Cain's defense; also having noticed how weak Cain now looked, and realizing that what Josiah and Riff had tried to tell him earlier had been the truth.

"This ring had belonged to your father, the previous Earl Hargreaves….He lost it once, and it had caused a huge mess. A few days later, it turned up again, just like that. You found the body of the maid who had supposedly stolen it, but, just days later, after he had put the ring back on, the Earl collapsed and withered away! Did you poison the ring and kill the Earl?!" Neil questioned, yet only got a derisive laugh from Alexis as a response.

"Did you ever find any evidence of poison on the ring?" Alexis asked.

"No…..but you took it after the Earl died!" Neil responded.

"Of course. I became the Earl, as was my right….and anything that had belonged to him belongs to me, now. Your imagination and jealousy are confusing you, Neil." Alexis sneered, as he took one step towards them, yet paused when Judas got in front of both Neil and Cain.

"Stay back, if you value your perverse life, bastard." Judas growled; his tone of voice and choice of words stunning Cain and his uncle to no end.

"Judas!" Cain almost yelped, in shock; yet managed a look of further consternation when Judas glanced over his shoulder at him, and said the words that he never thought he would hear from the feisty American.

"We may not have been born from the same mother, Cain, but we're still brothers, despite that…..And brothers defend one another, no matter what." Judas murmured, in a tone low enough so only Cain and Neil could hear.

"_Judas_….._You're claiming me as your brother?! Why?! Don't you realize just how dangerous that decision is?!?_" Cain's mind cried, as he numbly watched as Neil threw the ring back at Alexis, had his gun knocked from his hands, and as someone else arrived in a swirl of white.

"Cover your eyes!" Judas shouted, just moments before a blinding flash lit the Cathedral's sanctuary, and as Alexis and his accomplice vanished right before their eyes.

"You will regret ever pointing any weapons at me. And you, my accursed son, Cain, as long as you're alive, I'll destroy your world…..Until one of us draws his last breath. I will become the Lord of Flies that feeds upon this world." Alexis' voice said, echoing as he retreated from the building.

"Then I'll just have to find a bigger fly swatter." Judas retorted, as he re-sheathed his knives again, and turned to help Neil (who had fallen to his knees when the flash had temporarily blinded him) get back to his feet.

"Judas….What you had said just moments ago…..What in Heaven's name made you come to that decision? Don't you realize how much danger you will be in, once word of that reaches my father's ears?" Cain asked, shakily.

"I remembered something myself just a few minutes ago….Call it an 'epiphany', if you will….It was something my mother had told me, when I was still fairly small….That everyone on earth has a twin….and that I was to regard you as a brother, when and if I found you…..So, whether you like it or not, Cain, I'm your brother, now. Better just live with it." Judas stated, smartly; his usual smile returning when he saw a hint of chagrin appear on Cain's face.

"You calling me your brother I can handle somewhat better….than hearing Oscar say it…." Cain muttered; fighting the urge to snicker when he remembered what Judas had said and done when he'd first met the dimwitted redhead. Riff had been quite upset with having to repair so many small holes in the wall, from where both Judas and Josiah had pinned Oscar to it with their knives…..So much so that he had threatened to take the knives from them himself! At this, Judas only smiled.

"Judas Hargreaves…..it seems you live up the family name even better than I had thought….I am sorry for acting so harshly towards you earlier. But you understand why, I am sure." Neil murmured, as they quietly left the sanctuary and went to find some way of getting home.

"You have only Cain's safety in mind….Keeping him safe from that nutcase is a good enough reason to be uptight." Judas quietly agreed, yet could sense that his social standing in the older man's eyes had changed dramatically from what it had been. When they had finally located a barge that would take them at least part of the way back, they got on it and at least two of them were finally able to sit down.

"What I wouldn't give for a glass of brandy, right about now!" Cain muttered, and got a solid agreement from both his uncle and 'brother' for a response to that.

"Looks like you could definitely use it, Cain. Riff will have my head on a platter when he finds out I've let you exhaust yourself again." Judas joked, feeling some relief when Cain chuckled and shook his head.

"As different as night and day…." Neil murmured, as a slight smile appeared on his weary features, as well.

"Are you all right, Uncle Neil?" Cain asked, worriedly; ignoring his own exhaustion to make certain the older man was all right.

"I'm fine. That flash of light had blinded me for a moment, but I am otherwise all right." Neil replied, in an effort to reassure the fearful young man before him.

"When we land, we'll need to call a hansom cab to take us home." Cain said, as he made an effort to stand, wavered a little bit when some dizziness threatened to topple him, and reluctantly allowed Judas to steady him and help him sit back down.

"Don't be in such a rush. I know we're not out of the woods yet, but you need to take things slow, this time. Otherwise, you might pass out." Judas warned, worriedly, then added, "And if that happens, Mary will be the one to chop off my head!"

"You'd be right about that….especially since you're her brother now, too." Cain retorted; inwardly laughing when Judas' expression deadpanned.

"Not very encouraging, Cain….." Judas said with a sigh, as he looked up and around at their surroundings. An area that had once been bathed in brilliant moonlight, was now obscured by dense fog.

"I guess there isn't much worry about being assassinated in plain view, now, is there?" Neil asked, as he looked at the wary young American.

"Don't put it past them, Lord Neil. They might just try something…so keep your guard up." Judas replied, calmly, yet gripped the belt that held his knives almost nervously as he said that.

"True enough." Neil agreed, then added, as he glanced at Cain, "You're a different person when it comes to your father, though I don't blame you. He'd raised you that way…..But do you believe what he'd said? About how I see Augusta when I look at you?"

"_It shouldn't matter._" Judas mentally sighed, as he watched Cain withdraw into himself again; the pain of his past making his bright green eyes look almost dull. They all perked up when they heard what sounded like a violin in the distance.

"Zigeunerweisen? Where is it coming from?" Neil murmured, when he'd recognized the melody.

"From some rooftop, perhaps?" Cain added, quietly.

"Seems unlikely. But that violin is being played with amazing skill!" Neil said, admiringly; not noticing when a disturbed look appeared on Cain's young face.

"_This song is from my dream_….." Cain mused, darkly, then said, "It's the song that was played at my grandfather's deathbed…."

"Indeed! You have a good memory." Neil commended, then said, "That was the Earl's favorite song. 'Zigeuner' means gypsy. It's a song about those freedom-loving people."

"_Gypsy_…." Judas and Cain both thought, as they exchanged glances with one another, and listened as Neil began to speak again.

"Delilah is based on a club that had been founded by that same Earl. At the time, it didn't even have a name; it was just an organization that would shed light on the mysteries of life through science." Neil said, softly.

"And that all changed when that nutcase joined it, right?" Judas asked, boldly; getting a grave nod from Neil as an answer.

"Yes. He dabbled in inhuman experiments, the occult, and magic….Before long, the organization had become a secret society. As he began to conduct even more experiments, the organization was named 'Delilah'. The last report I had received from that investigator I had hired had said and confirmed as much." Neil replied.

"_I almost feel as though we're about to get in way over our heads, here._" Judas thought, edgily, not liking where this was going in the slightest.

"Even his stepchild is among his ranks…." Neil added, and as Judas gave Cain an unreadable look.

"That man you had met in the harbor that night, when you first arrived in England….That is my half-brother…..and the one I compared Josiah to when he appeared." Cain said, answering the unspoken question, and getting a widening of eyes from his 'twin' for that.

"Damn…." Judas muttered, then silently added, "_Definitely way in over my head!_..._A nutcase father/son tag-team!_"

"They were supposedly involved in many recent crimes, but even the police can't track them down. And….if Alexis is controlling things from the shadows, then they must be plotting something terrible!"

"Then, sir, instead of worrying about what they might be planning, make plans of your own! Be ready for them before they can get off the first strike!" Judas said, almost repeating what Josiah had told Cain earlier in the same day. With a rueful nod, Neil agreed; watching from his seat as Cain slowly stood alongside his cousin, and remembering what it had been like when he had first laid eyes on Cain.

"In truth….I did love my cousin Augusta….but I never once saw her in you, Cain. That wasn't why….it was just that, when you were born, you never cried. It was then that I saw the life in those shining eyes of yours', and, almost on a whim, reached out to touch you….." Neil murmured, as he remembered the tiny, feather-soft hand grabbing his fingers, and the innocent curiosity and confusion in Cain's wide green eyes as he looked up at him…..and could only imagine what Judas had looked like at that point in his own life.

"That was all it took….I just wanted to keep holding that little hand of yours'….nothing more." Neil said, finishing his thought, and then glancing up at the pair in front of him. He could see what could have been a look of warmth in Cain's eyes, and the almost envious expression in Judas'; sensing somehow the loss the other teen had suffered before coming to England, and then standing and embracing them both.

"Lord Neil?" Judas asked, confused by this turn of events, to no end.

"That's 'Uncle Neil' to you, Cain, and Mary-Weather, Judas." Neil said, as he looked fondly at them; the acceptance in his eyes telling both that Judas had, if not officially, been adopted back into the family.

"_I have a family again_….._I'm no longer an outsider_…." Judas thought, ironically, as he blinked back the unexpected tears in his eyes, and found the strength to smile again…..Yet jerked in startlement when the moon again shone through the clouds, and a shadowy figure appeared from the mists.

"Down!" Judas cried, as he shoved the both of them behind him, unsheathed two knives, and just barely shielded them from an arrow that came screaming in from a certain gypsy girl's crossbow. Yet that wasn't the end of the danger; for, almost as soon as the arrow had struck the two blades, the tip of it exploded, sending shards of metal into Judas' abdomen and arms.

"JUDAS!!" Cain cried, as he caught and held the wounded teen in his arms….his brave cousin who had dared to call himself his brother.

"Hang on, son. We'll get you to a doctor as fast as we can. Just hang on." Neil urged, as he picked Judas up, had Cain hastily moor the boat, and they both dashed down the street as soon as their feet had hit the ground; desperately hoping that they could get him to a doctor in time.

"_Please, hang on. Don't die, Judas!_" Cain thought, ignoring the dizzying feeling that his previous exhaustion and the sudden adrenaline rush were wreaking in his own body, when he saw blood beginning to soak Judas' shirt and coat.

"_That gypsy girl was the one Judas and I had met_…._and the same hooded figure that had saved my father! So she's an agent of Delilah and one of their cards! The Moon Card!_" Cain silently said, as his mind frantically put the pieces together, then glanced at Judas again. His cousin was pale, and his face was drawn with pain….but his eyes were open. When he saw his worried expression, he gave him a vague smile.

"Don't worry…..It'll take more than this to keep me down." Judas softly reassured.

"I'll hold you to that promise." Cain replied, then desperately thought, "_I don't care if it's God or the devil_….._Someone, just help us!_"

"Hey! What the bloody hell happened to you lot?" a man's voice asked, as it's owner appeared from the doorway of a shop. Startled, Cain and Neil both turned to look, and were relieved to see that it was a policeman that had just called out to them.

"Is there a phone in this establishment?" Cain asked, urgently.

"There should be. Why? What the devil has just happened?" the cop asked, his eyes widening when he saw what kind of shape Judas was in.

"There's no time to explain, aside from the fact that this young man has just risked it all to save our lives, tonight." Neil explained, calmly; doing his level best to keep the anxiety out of his voice.

"Then you'd better hurry and make your call, then. This poor lad is bleeding pretty badly." The cop said, as he carefully took Judas from Neil's arms and carried him into the shop, with both lords worriedly following after him.

……………………..

In the perpetual mists of a semi-unconscious mind, Judas could swear that he wasn't alone.

"_Who's here?_" he called, as he 'stood' and glanced warily around him.

"_Just a fellow American._" A feminine voice replied, as its' owner sauntered over to him; seemingly appearing from nowhere. He was taken aback by the woman's looks, despite himself; she was tall, had long, blue-black hair and eyes that weren't really one color or another. A graceful tattoo could be seen along the side of her lovely face, and, interestingly enough, had more than one piercing in both ears and even in her nose!

"_What? My nose isn't growing, is it?_" she quipped, catching Judas off guard, since he had almost been staring.

"_Erm_……_No_…._It's just that I've never met a beautiful woman in my mind before_…." Judas said, with an embarrassed laugh, and even a hint of a blush. At this, the woman smiled warmly in return.

"_Why, thank you for the compliment! You're a sweetie despite who you look like!_" the woman said, and was rewarded with a look that was a cross between insulted and bewildered.

"_Despite who I look like? What do you mean by that?_" Judas asked; wondering if she was going to make any cracks about his name, as well.

"_You look like Cain Hargreaves, but you have the opposite of his personality. I could sense your good heart even from where I was, in the next 'universe' over!_" the woman stated, then added, "_My name is Raven Nightwing, by the way. Just call me 'Small Lady'._"

"_Judas Hargreaves, or 'Jude' as my closest friends call me. Pleasure to meet you, Small Lady._" Judas greeted, warmly, with his usual low bow and smile.

"_Good to meet you, too. I must say, that you'd held up very well against 'Delilah' in this go-round._" Raven commented, and succeeded in getting an abashed look from Judas in response.

"_I did what I could_….._But it isn't over yet. Not by a long shot. I just hope I still have the strength to fight alongside Cain, despite my injuries._" Judas said, honestly and a bit concernedly, as he fingered his knife belts thoughtfully.

"_I can help you, you know._" Raven offered.

"_I couldn't ask that of you_….." Judas replied, quietly; his politeness unwittingly earning him a few more points in the mysterious woman's book.

"_Think of it as a gift, from one friend to another._" Raven said, gently.

_" Then I will have to give you something in return, won't I__?"_ Judas asked, rhetorically. She again flashed him a winning smile.

"_No, you don't._" the woman argued, again getting a blush from the other American for her words.

"_Yes, I do. Is one of these knives good enough?_" Judas asked, as he cautiously unsheathed one of the knives, and held it thoughtfully in his hand. At this, she only gave him a gentle smile.

"_If you insist, but I don't have any real need for a throwing knife_…._but a sword would do just nicely._ " Raven replied; no sooner saying the word 'sword' when the blade in Judas' hand suddenly seemed to grow, and become the size and length of a great-sword!

"_Incredible_….._How did you_…..?" Judas began to ask, yet was stopped from saying anything more, when she placed a hand to his lips and she smiled enigmatically at him.

"_Sorry. Trade secret._" Raven simply said, as she gently took the now-sword from Judas' hands, then added, as she pointed out one direction in particular, "_You'd better return to consciousness, now. That way will return you home. And, so you will know that this was not a dream, your body alone will be proof of my promise to you._"

"_Thank you, Small Lady!_" Judas yelped, as he dashed away from her, and in the direction he somehow knew to run in. He therefore didn't hear it when the mysterious Raven Nightwing ever-so-softly answered him, as she held the new blade tightly in her hands.

"_No, Jude. Thank __you_"

……………………

Judas uttered a groan, as he slowly returned to awareness.

"Hey! He's waking up! Judas!" Emile's voice shouted; his raised voice getting a flinch from Judas, since his ears were now strangely sensitive. Upon opening his eyes, Judas found that he was surrounded by those dearest to him. Mary-Weather and Emile were kneeling beside the bed, relieved smiles appearing on their childish faces when he looked at them. Cain was seated in a chair beside his bed; trying not to look as though he'd been there the entire time he'd been unconscious. Riff and Josiah were standing close at hand; both with worried (and, in Josiah's case, minutely angry) expressions on their faces.

"How are you feeling, Judas? You've been unconscious for two days, now." Cain stated.

"Aside from having a headache that feels like Oscar had kicked my head? I'm feeling all right." Judas replied, as he slowly sat up; feeling some surprise when he didn't feel any pain from the wounds that should have been there.

"Your wounds had closed at such a miraculous pace after we removed what remained of the arrowhead, that you're almost ready to get out of bed." Josiah stated, with notable shock in his voice, as he told the teenager this.

"Yet you were still extremely fortunate that those metal shards hadn't injured any of your internal organs….It seems as though your knives had indeed saved your life, that night." Riff murmured; sounding equally as amazed by this turn of events as Josiah had.

"In any case, this event has made me even more determined to break free of my father's spell…..and to not let him take any more people I love away from me." Cain said, as he reached over and gripped Judas' shoulder, and gave him a look filled with newfound strength, "Will you help me, Judas? Will you fight by my side and help erase the presence that has been causing our uncle such grief?"

"What made you think I wouldn't, Cain?" Judas replied, as he in turn reached up and gripped Cain's shoulder, as well. The battle lines had been drawn, and neither one was about to back down from the challenge Alexis Hargreaves had issued. The war within the Hargreaves family had begun.

Author's Note!

First off, BIG thank you to MagicalGirl23 for allowing me to use her character Raven Nightwing! (Hopefully I got her somewhat in character...If not, then please let me know how to improve my writing about her!)

Also, if everybody reading this story hasn't read 'Letters from Nowhere' then I highly recommend it!

Thanks for reading and please review!

Gemini14


End file.
